At first glance this article on the etiquette of using a laptop or other device in business meetings does not fall under the realm of a media psychology topic. But I am going to speak from experience here…stay with me.
The article focuses on attendees in a corporate business meeting and their use of a laptop while people are speaking. Not for note-taking or relevant access to info needed in the meeting but for conducting outside business and personal communication and web surfing these people deem is more important to their lives than the meeting. The ugly head of “me” raises again. The idea that if a person is not interested they can use their time for something that interests them is very self-centered.
Back when I was travelling internationally for my employer, I was amazed at the obsession of people answering cell phones and PDAs. I was based in a US office and the majority of managers were expats from other countries - I was the lone US born female. I would sit in meetings and watch as these guys would attempt to show their importance by obsessively interrupting and ignoring the person running the meeting by giving priority to the device. Completely clueless in corporate protocol.
Rudeness is part of it. You can’t teach some people good manners. But the proliferation of the expectation of having every environment as we want it is narcissitic.
I am out of the loop nowadays for the young workers evidently:
Laptops in meetings are also becoming fashion accessories, especially among employees in their 20s and early 30s. Their PCs have stickers like those of a high school binder: snowboard products, or geeky sayings like “My other PC is your laptop — I’m a hacker.” There are political bumper stickers and all kinds of things that show off their interests, their image, their sense of humor.
Do I really want to look at and be exposed to the individuals’ beliefs, thoughts, etc. in my work environment. It’s bad enough to have to read car bumper stickers…but now having the read the backs of laptops? Me, me, me.
I’ll close my rant today with my recollection of a very famous corporate titan’s words years ago as the cell phone became ubiquitous in our business lives. Someone asked him why he didn’t carry a cell phone. His response was to the extent, “Well, if it’s that important they will call back. I don’t have to answer just because someone is calling.”