Banish bad cell phone behavior, but how? Here's a list of tips

MILWAUKEE -- Did you now July is National Cell Phone Courtesy Month? It is, so we're going to help you put an end to bad cell phone behavior. Shana Forman from the Verizon Wireless in Greenfield joins Real Milwaukee to talk about tech etiquette.

1. Turn it off. Turn off your phone or switch it to silent mode when it could be distracting or cause a disruption.

2. Place it face down. If your cell phone must be left on in a public place, set the ringer to silent and place the phone face down to minimize audio and visual disturbance to others. When possible, avoid texting during face-to-face conversations.

3. Give a heads up. In emergency situations, inform people or ask permission to have your cell phone readily available. When appropriate, excuse yourself and respond in a private area.

4. Be considerate. Respect people`s privacy and personal space by keeping your conversations brief. When possible, maintain a distance of at least 10 feet from the nearest person.

5. Avoid 'cell yell.' Speak in a regular conversation tone, and keep your voice low if possible. Do not use speakerphone.

6. Keep it to yourself. To ensure you don`t bother anyone with your mobile videos or music, use headphones.

7. Don`t text and drive. Don`t, under any circumstances, text while driving. Use an app, such as Live2Txt, to block incoming texts and calls, and customize an away message.