Digital Etiquette – The Rules are A’changing
On an episode of The Office, Jim said, “I should just call him.” And Kelly, a spunky customer service employee quickly said, “You wanna call someone? That texted you? Do you want to drive them away?”
As technology quickly progresses, tech etiquette is developing new rules at a fast pace. Business etiquette concerning email, smartphone use, and texting and will continue to evolve. Things considered inappropriate in years past, are now expected. And perhaps things that will be expected in the future, haven’t been invented yet!
Today’s business world is a blend of generations, from the Baby Boomers who are nearing retirement to Generation Z who are just old enough to enter the workforce. No matter what generation you are apart of, making an effort to understand rules of tech etiquette will help you gracefully communicate with your coworkers, authority, and employees.
Asking for Help or Directions
It was normal to call a friend and ask for directions. Now, it’s borderline rude. With smartphone technology and GPS at our fingertips, we only need an address to get where we’re going. However, if the address is incomplete or it seems incorrect, give someone a call.
The statement, “You’re on the thing that has the answer you are looking for,” is beginning to resonant with young professionals. While sometimes difficult to sort through, the Internet is littered with information. As search engines improve relevant results, it’s becoming easier to find accurate information. When it comes to solving that Excel problem or performing an operation in Photoshop, try asking Google before asking a coworker.
Faxing
Smartphone technology paired with emailing has advanced far enough to outdate fax machines. If you are sending or receiving only a few pages, it may be more convenient to take a high quality photo on a smartphone and email it. There are even apps to transfer the photo into a black and white image, mimicking a fax machine.
Emails
Emails have been widely used since the early 1990s. Since it’s development, the rules are continually changing. Formality, for example, is beginning to loosen. It’s becoming more acceptable to omit greetings and closings. Will the email be the new text message? Not quite yet. But, be aware of this cultural shift in communication.
As for expected response times, business emails should be answered within one day, with the exception of the weekend. Answering messages on the weekend currently depend on your occupation. If you are a 9-5 employee, responding during off time is not expected.
Phone Calls and Voicemail
Who would have thought one day that leaving a voicemail could be considered impolite? Factoring in the time it takes for someone to check their voicemail, record necessary information, and give you a call back, can seem rude by new technology standards. The voicemail is loosing its footing in relevancy, and being replaced by emails and text messages.
Texting
The etiquette rules in this relatively new form of business communication are slowly shifting. As technology advances we will continue to define what is rude and what is acceptable. For now, here are a few points to follow:
- Since tone can be hard to read in digital communication, it’s appropriate to soften a sentence with an exclamation point or the occasional smiley face. If this seems to casual to you, make sure to reread your messages for clarity before sending.
- Never use casual abbreviations when handling business, such as LOL or IDK.
- This is no need to add salutations in a text. Only add your name if it is the first time you are texting someone and you aren’t sure they have your number.
- If someone texts you a question, answer it. If someone texts you a statement, it’s your choice if you would like to reply.
- Typing in all CAPS is considered yelling. Avoid all caps unless there is a word you would like emphasized.
Fifty-eight percent of smartphone users in the United States check their phones at least once an hour. Professionals who are drowning in digital communication are changing the rules of etiquette. Social norms and expectations are changing with new models, new apps, and new features.
For now, consider your audience. Try to learn what they expect from communicating you, especially your boss. By paying attention to the latest technology advances and gradual shifts in communication, we can all do our best to kindly and gracefully communicate with others.
