It’s long been considered in poor taste to check your texts and emails and assorted other smartphone features while out on a date or socializing in close company. But is it possible that this social taboo is no longer worthy of being considered such a social crime?
At this point, the odds are in your favor that whomever you’re out with will have a smartphone, too. And you’re probably going to receive a few texts in your time together. Maybe they’ll be important, maybe they’ll just be your mom saying she loves you (which: important, but not urgent). But perhaps it’s okay, finally, to acknowledge the need to check our phones for a second, just to make sure we’re not needed. Should we ease up on the stigma at this point? Or is it still just plain rude?
