There are a lot of things in life I can tolerate…But bad phone etiquette is not one of them.

We live in a world where people can’t sit through a five-minute conversation without staring at a screen… where dinner tables glow blue from the light of notifications… where parents are physically present but mentally miles away, lost in scrolling.

And honestly? I’ve had enough. This isn’t a gentle suggestion. This is a public service announcement. A rant. A wake-up call. Because the world needs one.

📱 Put. The. Phone. Down.

If you’re with someone — really with them — the phone should not be the third guest at the table. It shouldn’t be sitting face-up like a VIP guest of honor. It shouldn’t be picked up every time it buzzes. It shouldn’t interrupt the flow, the energy, or the humanity of the moment.

When we look at a phone instead of a person:

We send the message that the screen is more important.
We kill connection.
We weaken relationships.
We disrespect the people who give us their time.

Devices have become a socially accepted form of disrespect — and that’s the part that drives me crazy.

🧠 We’ve Created a Culture of Constant Distraction

People can’t just be anymore.

Stand in line → scroll.
Sit in a car → scroll.
Talk to someone → scroll.
Walk on a sidewalk → scroll.
Spend time with family → scroll.

We’re physically everywhere and mentally nowhere. It’s chaos. It’s rude. It’s unnecessary. And it’s absolutely one of my biggest pet peeves on earth.

👨‍👧‍👧 My Golden Rule: No Phones When I’m With My Kids

This one is non-negotiable. When I’m with my daughters, the phone disappears. Not face-down… not on silent… Gone.

Because these moments — the conversations, the silliness, the curiosity, the hugs, the questions, the eye contact — they’re fleeting.

Kids know when you’re half-present. Kids feel when they’re competing with a screen. Kids remember when you chose the phone instead of them. And one day, they’ll stop trying. So my rule is simple:

When my kids are with me, I am theirs. Fully. Completely. Undistracted.

That is how I show respect.

That is how I build trust.

That is how I stay connected to the little humans who matter more than anything else in my world.

🤝 Respect Is Shown Through Presence

We spend so much time talking about kindness, manners, values, parenting, leadership…

But presence — real presence — is the most important of them all.

It says:

I’m here with you.
I’m listening.
You matter.
This moment matters.
You can’t build relationships on autopilot.
You can’t raise confident kids with half-attention.
You can’t lead a family, a team, or a company with your head buried in your phone.

🛑 Enough With the Excuses

“I’m just checking something quick.”
“I need to respond.”
“This will only take a second.”
“It’s work.”
“It’s important.”

Everything feels important on a screen. But real life is where the actual important things live. If it’s not life-or-death? It can wait. And if someone is with you — really with you — they deserve better.

❤️ Let’s Bring Humanity Back

I’m not anti-technology. I’m anti-disrespect. I’m anti-disconnection. I’m anti-losing-the-moments-that-matter. We don’t need to be perfect. We just need to be intentional.

So here’s the message: