Top 7 dumb times to use a smartphone

Smartphones are great. Who would have ever thought that you could carry a telephone, address book, computer, camera, and all of your e-mail in just your pocket? However, as with any technology, it's liable to be misused. This isn’t just limited to talking on the phone at the wrong time; typing on the keyboard or sneaking a glance at the latest text messages can get us into a lot of trouble, too. Here are my Top 7 dumbest moments to use a smartphone:

7. At a ceremony

Carolina Cubra Bacre/AP/File
Priests at the San Juan Bosco Church in Monterrey, Mexico, got so tired of services being interrupted by ringing cellphones that in 2004 they installed counterintelligence technology (top right) made in Israel to silence the devices. Using a smartphone at any kind of ceremony is usually a no-no.

You’ve gone out of your way to support a friend or family member at a recognition ceremony. “Congratulations man! What an achievement! Hold on a sec… just received some new e-mail spam.” Turn the phone off and avoid the insult of interacting with your smartphone while someone is being honored.

Ditto for religious services. You have made the choice to attend and participate in your religion – a time to reconnect and reflect. Neither of these things have anything to do with your phone’s signal connection or whether you can see your reflection on the screen.

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