Don’t upstage your friends! 19 modern etiquette mistakes – and how to avoid them

Smartphones, social media and instant communication have made it easier than ever to connect — and to offend. Many of today’s etiquette breaches come from convenience: a badly written message, a thoughtless post or a device that demands our attention. The underlying rule remains unchanged: consideration for others.

Common slips include making birthday posts all about yourself, sending voice notes without a subject, checking a smartwatch during a face‑to‑face chat and firing off work emails outside business hours. Guests should ask before taking or sharing photos in someone else’s home, and avoid forcing music or calls on others by skipping headphones.

Other frequent irritations are couples resharing each other’s posts, filming people in public, dropping niceties from emails, recording concerts instead of watching, vaping without asking, ghosting invitations and posting images of children without permission. Half‑hearted dietary choices and bringing an uninvited plus one also cause needless friction.

etiquette, smartphones, social media, voice notes, smartwatch, work emails, photo permission, headphones, ghosting, vaping