Electronic etiquette going down the drain, survey says

The legions of workers glued to their "Crackberries" and other electronic devices in Washington, D.C., have become the stuff of legend.

Now, just in time for some light Friday reading, Intel has released 2011 State of Mobile Etiquette survey, confirming what many veterans of D.C. traffic and public transit already know: 75 percent of respondents say mobile manners are worse than they were just one year ago.

Nine out of ten people who responded to the online survey said they have seen people misuse their mobile devices, according to the survey. Among the top pet peeves? Texting while driving, talking loudly in public places, and a Capitol Hill oldie but goodie - sending emails while walking.

"New digital technologies are becoming a mainstay in consumers' lives, but we haven't yet worked out for ourselves, our families, communities and societies what all the right kinds of behaviors and expectations will be," said Intel's Genevieve Bell. "Our appropriate digital technology behaviors are still embryonic, and it's important for Intel and the entire industry to maintain a dialogue about the way people use technology and our personal relationships with technology as they continue to help shape societal and cultural norms."

Etiquette (e-tiquette?) author Anna Post of The Emily Post Institute offers some advice on how to manage "public displays of technology."

"The premise of etiquette and how we socialize with one another is not a new concept. Whenever we interact with another person directly or through the use of mobile technology, etiquette is a factor," she said in a statement. "We can all be more cognizant of how we use our mobile technology and how our usage may impact others around us - at home, in the office and whenever we are in public."

The survey, sponsored by Intel and conducted online by Ipsos, asked a nationally representative sample of 2,000 American adults about their experience with mobile etiquette. It has a margin of error of +/- 2.2 percentage points.