The New Fear in Town: FOMO - Fear of Missing Out
Anna Musson, etiquette expert, stated that Australians are so involved with their smartphones that momentous times during holidays were taken for granted.
"We are going away on holidays and we are still checking emails, responding to calls and taking photos of food before we've even eaten it. Australians have a severe case of FOMO fear of Missing Out - if they don't check their phone every 10 minutes," Ms Musson explained in an interview with AAP.
Forty-eight per cent of the Australians were being interrupted by phones during sex; 53 per cent were using their phones even in the toilet, according to a study conducted by the Galaxy Research as commissioned by Tourism and Events Queensland.
In an answer to this, Queensland's Sunshine Coast came up of the "Smarter Smartphone Code of Conduct" to help visiting tourists to do away with their smartphones when they stay for the holidays.
The Smarter Smartphone Code of Conduct (as provided by The Sydney Morning Herald):
1. Avoid being a search-it-all
Make the most of the moment and seek out your own special corner of the coast.
2. Elbows and phones off the table
Make the most of the moment with great food and company.
3. Kiss your phone goodnight
Make the most of your night with a restful night's sleep or some romance.
4. Look before you snap
Make the most of the moment and take in this truly breathtaking place.
5. Take a phone-free day
Make the most of the moment and experience nature without distractions.
6. Talk now, text later
Make the most of the moment and enjoy this precious time together.
7. Taste before you upload
Make the most of the moment and savour every mouthful.
Simon Ambrose, Sunshine Coast Destination Limited (SCDL) CEO, remarked that other tourism officials were delighted about the code and promised to support it.
"The general feeling you get when talking to business operators is that it can be a bit disconcerting when people are constantly talking on their phones. What we are saying is you need technology - it's just what you do with it," Mr Ambrose told AAP.
Tourists are going to be reminded of the Smarter Smartphone Code of Conduct as it will be printed from coasters, taxis, bedside tables in hotels across the Sunshine Coast.
"Not only does the region have so much to offer for those looking to relax, recharge and reconnect with loved ones, visitors now have the opportunity to leave feeling naturally refreshed and armed with an idea that can better their lives," Mr Ambrose added.