Why granny hates kids taking all those selfies

TO many it might seem a little vain. But among the younger generations it has become perfectly normal to take pictures of yourself in public on a smartphone.

To their grandparents, however, snapping selfies in front of others is completely ‘unacceptable’ behaviour, with four in ten over-65s railing against popular practice.

It wasn’t the only technology bugbear for those of retirement age, who are apparently lamenting the decline in traditional manners in this age of smartphone addiction.

Almost half of the over-65s in the survey by communications regulator Ofcom think it is wrong to use the gadgets on public transport and in the street. And 83 per cent disapprove of people being on their phones in cinemas and theatres. Etiquette expert William Hanson said the results of the study were of little surprise, given that the prevalence of technology is still relatively new.

‘It is little wonder that the older generations, who managed to communicate perfectly well without this new technology, are flummoxed by the younger generations’ obsession with it,’ he said.

However, while the elderly population is the most likely group to disapprove of the use of technology in all social situations, they are not alone.

Of the 2,000 adult internet users and 500 teenagers surveyed for the Communications Market Report, 65 per cent think it is unacceptable to use a phone when watching a film or theatre production.

The generational divide is also relatively narrow, with half of teenagers and young adults agreeing that cinemas and theatres should be phone-free zones.

Their responses mirror the furious backlash to a proposal by US cinema chain AMC Theatres to allow people to use their phones during some film screenings.

A similar level of disapproval was seen between age groups when they were asked about the use of mobiles and similar devices during meals at home and at restaurants.

Just under 60 per cent of all internet users said it was unacceptable when eating with others at home. Surprisingly, teenagers were more likely to raise concerns about phone use at the dinner table than 16 to 24-yearolds, with 46 per cent of younger teen respondents saying it was unacceptable compared to 40 per cent of young adults.

Half of all internet users think that using a smartphone or tablet in a restaurant is unacceptable, but there was a marked difference in responses by age.

Three in ten respondents who were aged 24 and under thought this was unacceptable, but this increased to almost seven in ten of the over-65s.

Mr Hanson added: ‘Table manners today are really very poor as people focus more on take pictures of their food rather than eating it politely and appropriately.’