© ponsulak
I haven’t done a What Would You Do segment in a while and after watching a particular video on the subject a few days ago, I thought I might bring it up on the blog today and ask what you would do if you’re in a similar situation.
Don’t worry, it’s nothing sinister but it happens more often than you think. It’s about your phone and the photos you took with it. And no, I’m not talking about nude photos. 😛
The Scenario:
You catch up with a friend for coffee and cake. While you’re chatting, you show her a photo that was taken with your phone. You hand the phone over to her to show her that photo. You thought she’d hand the phone back to you once she’s seen the photo but she started to flick the screen going through your other photos! There are private photos in there you definitely don’t want simply anyone to see. No nude shots or anything, but they are personal to you after all.
What would you do?
A. Huffily ask her “What are you doing? I didn’t recall giving you the permission to go through my photo album. I only wanted to show you that one photo!” and grab the phone back from her.
B. Keep quiet about it and silently seethe with anger at the invasion of privacy. And pray hard that she doesn’t come across THAT photo.
C. Accidentally-on-purpose drop your coffee, shake the table, fake a very loud and hacking cough, pretend that you saw a celebrity sitting at the next table … anything to create a distraction in hopes that she puts the phone down on the table and you grab and hang on to it for dear life.
D. None of the above. Your choice. What would YOU do?
Man, this situation irks me to no end. I’ve seen this happen countless times; heck, it has even happened to me on a few occasions. A lot of people seem to think that just because someone shows them a photo on the phone, it automatically gives them the permission to scroll through their photo album and view the other photos in there. It doesn’t matter if I have absolutely harmless photos in my phone; if I wanted to show you more photos, I’d be the one scrolling for you. Or I’ll tell you to go ahead and scroll away.
Usually when someone wants to show me a photo on their phone, I often just look at it but I don’t actually take said phone with my hands. I usually only do that if I’m closer to the person or if they literally shoved the phone onto my hands. Personally, I think it’s polite to just view it and not touch the phone unless the person offering it to me really wants me to hold it in my hand.
In the situation above, what I usually do is when I see the person starting to scroll, I stick my hand out as a gesture to ask for my phone back. I don’t go “OI! GIVE IT BACK!“, although trust me, I’m thinking it. Most of the time, sticking my hand out is a very obvious action to ask for my phone back but I have come across the more oblivious ones who really wouldn’t understand that it’s not okay to scroll through the photos without permission. That’s when I gently but firmly take my phone off their hands. Then I change the subject and talk about something else that’s lighthearted.
D. “Sorry, I need to make a very urgent phone call.” *Retreats to “make a phone call” fuming, seething. Calm self down. Returns to “friend.* Tells him/her it was a very uncool thing to do. Awaits for apology. If apology is provided, accept graciously and move on. Otherwise, never ever hand the phone over to said-friend ever again.
That’s a good one, needing to make an urgent phone call. I never thought of that. I just stick my hand out. And maybe clear my throat. 😛
Well as I’m terrible at taking pics on a day to day basis, if anyone were to scroll through my phone’s album, all they would find is beauty themed pictures that I’ve posted to Instagram that have automatically saved to the camera roll, and be instantly bored haha.. There was a time after my wedding that I was showing people pics of my dress from Facebook because we had a couple of the wedding album pics posted there, and they’d often keep scrolling because they didn’t know when the wedding pics would end, and when they’d come across a ‘normal’ photo I think most people would automatically stop scrolling and hand the phone back, which was nice… But if it was me scrolling through a couple of pics that a friend wanted to me to look at, I definitely stop scrolling once those pics end, I don’t think it’s polite to scrutinise every pic on their camera roll.
Whoa, essay! Ha.
Angie recently posted..Weekend Fave: NARS Audacious Lipsticks
Haha appreciate the “essay”! I know a lot of friends who just hand me their phone and tell me to check out the photos and keep scrolling. The problem is, many often forget that the last photo they took before the slew of photos they want me to see isn’t actually what they wanted me to see in the first place so they get embarrassed and I get embarrassed. Quite an awkward situation. So these days, as I’m scrolling, I usually say “okay when do I stop? Say when!”. 😛
Great post Tine. I agree it’s very rude. If someone shows me a photo on their phone, I usually just look without touching their phone. And I never let people touch my phone either. If someone hijacks my phone and starts scrolling, I won’t think twice about asking politely ‘can I have phone back please?’ Personally I wouldn’t pretend to have a phone call to make or create other excuses, because it’s my goddamn phone and I want it back 🙂
Thanks Fei. Well said! Heck, it’s our goddammn phone so why can’t we have it back, eh? 😛
If I’m showing someone a photo on my phone I don’t hand my phone over. I just hold up the image and that’s one of the benefits of having a phablet haah! Big screen lol! If it’s someone close I don’t expect them to be as crass to scroll through my photos unless I tell them to. If they are, we won’t be friends anymore that’s all 😛
Paris B recently posted..Clinique Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick: Online exclusive at the Clinique online store (my experience!)
Hahaha I’m with you on this one! I usually just hold up my phone! Ah the beauty of a big screen; you can’t say you can’t see the photo, right? 😛
Hmm…I do what Paris B does…I just hold my phone to show them the photo. I don’t like it when people touch my phone. At all. Wait…I haven’t done that to you before right? Not that I know of because I don’t like it if someone does it to me so I won’t do it to someone else. I think it’s rude to scroll through someone else’s phone. It’s private! I liken that to someone going through my wallet when I ask them to get ONE thing that’s obvious from it.
Norlin recently posted..Random Monday: Once The Musical
Hahaha no, you haven’t done that to me before. Don’t think I’ve ever touched your phone (if I have, let me know!) before.
Ahh that’s the perfect example! It’s just like rummaging through one’s wallet or bag without permission. It’s like I ask you to take a pack of tissues from my bag and you start opening my wallet, see what’s inside, take out my makeup bag, etc.
While it’s a rude thing to do .. I don’t think I’d mind. I only have photo’s of food and my dog .. and probably some makeup photo’s .. if I’ve seen anything interesting at the drug store.
Monica.
MonicaP recently posted..Merona Plaid Blazer
I think it’s the fact that some people think it’s okay to go through another person’s phone even though there are no risque pictures in there that bothers me. It’s just not right.
Oh, how I hate it when this happens! How rude! It’s not just my phone, some did it to my camera too (before smart phone days). I’m too chicken to yell at people or display my angry face. Eventually I’ve learned never hand my phone over to friends. Since I share what I want to share on FB (for real life friends), I don’t show people photos in my phone, because they somehow will eventually want to take your phone away from your hand!! Very strange behavior!
coco recently posted..Life in Pictures – September 2014
UGH that’s awful! Regular cameras are no nos too! Why would people even do that?? >.<
OK I’d so just go with the grabbing back….but I have naked piccies on my phone (not those kind…tsk…..I’ve been losing quite a lot of weight and have been documenting it on my phone so I can keep motivation when I’m out and think a McDonalds won’t make a difference…ahem.) Not *completely* naked, in sports underwear, but still….ain’t nobody needs to see that lol….
Plus – just HOW RUDE….omg….this is why I always keep an iron grip on my phone though lol….
Hahaha I know the ones you mean! I have those too! Definitely not something I’d share in public. While they’re not risque shots, I’m just not comfortable having people scroll through those photos. I need a smaller phone to keep an iron grip on. My current one’s too big!
yes! this has happened to me. I quickly said, “oh there’s no more of that thing. Just that one photo…” And then took the phone away.
I take a few embarrassing selfies that don’t ever get released to the public. It’s embarrassing that I take this many selfies. No one needs to see them.
Toushka Lee (@Toushkalee) recently posted..ONCE: Melbourne’s Newest Favourite Musical and Why It May Get a Visit From the Tooth Fairy
OMG me too! The amount of selfies I have in my phone is quite ridiculous. Heck, I take multiple photos of myself just to post a selfie on Instagram! It’s quite scary the number of photos of my enlarged face I have in my phone. 😛