How to Deal with People Texting During your Speech
Although technology has made our lives easier, it has it cons. People do have the latest of gadgets but they do not have the basic courtesy to use them. Usually it so happens that the whole family is sitting on one dining table, consuming their dinner and one of the children is busy texting a friend or updating statuses on twitter. This is a common practice and no matter how much of etiquette a person is brought up with, technology changes all that.
It is highly revolting sight as a teacher, when you are delivering your lecture and one of your students is busy texting somebody. Not only it is highly unethical but also distracts the lecturer. It completely changes the complete flow of the discussion. There are ways to tackle this but the more you think over the process, the more your focus will divert from your topic.
While delivering a speech to hear someone’s phone ringing is already bad in itself, but when you see someone not paying heed to your speech and texting, that makes you doubt yourself and you are bound to feel highly infuriated.
In professional places, usually the audience is told to keep their phones on silent or to switch it off. This practice is not carried out by some of the audience and result in violation of the gathering. You need the undivided attention of your audience for them respect you. If people are seen emailing texting and checking their phones, then your speech will not have much effect on them.
Instructions
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1
Walk over to the person who is texting. Do not look at them. By just coming close to them you will put them in a bit of a spot and eventually they will put their phones in their pockets. This way you can make them listen to what you have to say without making them realize if you saw them texting.
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2
Another way is that you can refer to the person who is texting by calling out his/her name, looking at another direction. This way the individual will briskly put the phone down and listen to what you have to say. Do not put the individual in an awkward position. This way you will lose your credibility and make fun of someone at his/her expense.
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3
Do not let audience know that you have seen him/her using their phone. Make them feel as if you are so involved in your speech that you do not actually care if he/she is texting or not.
