Recently, I had several of my teen mentees in the car with me. The car in front of us was weaving erratically.

I think it freaked out the teenagers in the car even more than me. One of my younger teens leaned over my shoulder from the backseat and said, “It drives me nuts when my mom tries to drive and text. Bet that’s what that driver is doing.”

The older teen beside me slapped his knee just as the car in question swerved to miss an oncoming car on Carrillo Street. “That person is putting so many people at risk!” He scratched his head and muttered, “Go figure.”

Finally, the car pulls to the side to parallel park, and we pass it. The driver is an adult woman with a baby in the back seat. She is furiously texting before she starts to park.

I wondered aloud if her text was really so important that she would put the life of her young child and all of us at risk for the sake of getting back to someone in nanoseconds.


So, you guessed it. When we arrived at our destination, and before we disembarked, I asked the boys with me to think about texting etiquette in general, but with emphasis on texting in public or with others.

Here’s what they came up with on the fly:

» Driving and texting are never acceptable for either parents or teens.

» If driving, and it’s an emergency, pull the car over and deal with the issue. Never keep driving and texting, no matter what.

» Do not text while walking down a busy sidewalk. Move to the side of the walk to handle it. You may run into someone and hurt them or miss something coming at you that could hurt you.

» If you are with others face-to-face and having a conversation, don’t text or check messages.

» Adults should always remember that they are role models in every action they take. So, remember that when using your cell phone.

» Children and teens love to hear from their parents, but don’t be a stalker parent and excessively text them while they are at school — whether it’s high school or college.

» Be careful of the tone you set with a text message. Think about what you are texting before you press the send button. Sometimes casual comments or even neutral messages come across as negative. And, never text in all caps. Looks like you are shouting.

» Never deliver important information via text. Anything important should always be delivered in person. Don’t cause someone else pain by breaking off a relationship with a text message! So bad. Don’t send a text that YOU wouldn’t want to receive. Rule of thumb for what to say: Ask yourself if you would say the same thing in person.

» Think about when texting is acceptable. During a meal? During a meeting? During class? Uh, no.

» Remember that you might send a text to one person, but it may get forwarded to others. So be careful about what you send — in words and photos.

» Don’t be rude and exclude others by texting when you are with them. If you have an emergency, let them know and excuse yourself to handle it.

I was very impressed with the list my teens created. Out of the mouth of babes, right? They also told me that they thought the suggestions at this site were cool. Click here for more texting etiquette tips.

Can you add to the overall list?

— John Daly is the founder and president of The Key Class, the keys to life skills success. Click to learn more about The Key Class, or click here to buy his book. John’s new book, 74 Key Life Skills for a Happy, Successful Life, is available on Amazon. Connect with The Key Class on Facebook and follow John on Twitter @johnjdalyjr. Do you have a question about business or social etiquette? Ask John at johnKeyClass@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are his own.