Prince has stopped ardent fans from using their iPhones at his latest secret gigs. And, rather than freak out, ardent fans seemed actually happy with the development. (Still, there were a few getting their phones confiscated/yelled at throughout the gig, too).
So rather than being like out-of-touch grandparents who don’t know about modern technology, maybe Prince has got a point. And actually, the more we think about it, there are some big questions about phones and etiquette. This what we need to know:
How long should you wait after sex until you check your phone?
This, we feel, is perhaps the greatest dilemma of modern technology. Obviously, it’s rather impolite to swipe and unlock while your partner is still breathing like a post-coital Bane. But, you know, this is the modern world and you might have just got an important work email, or a Snapchat where someone’s drawn a face on her belly and her boobs are the eyes. So how long do you wait? We feel this should be decided on a reward points system, with you waiting exactly half the time the sex took. So if you’ve been attentively seen to for hours on end, then you don’t get to play Temple Run for a little while. If it was all over by Track 2 on Rush Of Blood To The Head, you can start WhatsApping within the minute.
Putting your phone on the table during a date is a dick move.
Is it OK to put your phone on the table during a date?
We always do this. We know it’s rude, we don’t even mean to, it’s just how we sit down nowadays. But we think we should make an attempt to stop. It’s just such a dick move – to have your phone there as if it any moment someone more interesting may want to chat. So we’re saying this is a no-no.
Is it OK to read an iMessage and not reply straight away?
In the olden days (like, two years ago) you could reply to texts whenever you wanted. Three days later, if you wanted to. With the meaningless apology 'Sorry just saw this', as if a mobile phone was something you just dipped into a couple of times a week like shaving your legs or watching Pointless. Now they know as soon as you’ve seen it, so you can’t pretend. That’s annoying because sometimes you don’t want to reply straight away – especially if it’s someone you’re fighting with or there’s a big decision that has to be made. The only way round this one is to cheat. Go to your phone’s options and turn off read receipts for iMessage. On WhatsApp, only look at new messages when they appear on your locked home screen – don’t actually go into the app. There’s currently no fix for Facebook messenger, but you can read Facebook messages online without someone else knowing if you download this app. Sneaky!
Is it OK to take photos or videos of bands at gigs?
The real question is, why would you bother? You see those people shining bright lights into your favourite band's faces? They’re professional photographer, their pictures will be online in minutes and they’re going to be 1,000 times better than anything you'll take while trying to hold a smartphone steady. Take pictures of your friends acting like dickheads in the crowd, take pictures of yourself spending £28 on an official T-shirt, but don’t bother taking pictures of the stage. Like Prince said, just enjoy the show.
Follow Sam on Twitter @samwolfson
Picture: Ben Arant
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.