Views about using mobile devices in social settings vary among
age groups. / Paul Sakuma, AP More and more people pull out
their smartphones or cellphones at meals, in meetings or in the
classroom. But which habits with those mobile devices get a
thumbs down? A new survey finds that many Americans feel using
the mobile devices in those settings is just inappropriate. But
opinions on mobile device manners vary by age, according to the
survey out Monday. Younger people tend to be more tolerant of
cellphone use during meals, meetings and classes. The Center for
the Digital Future at the University of Southern California's
Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and Bovitz
Inc., a market research and strategy firm in Encino, Calif.,
conducted the nationwide survey of 989 Internet users. The
survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1%. "The purpose
of this technology is to facilitate relationships," says Jeffrey
Cole, director of the Center for the Digital Future. "We need to
find a balance to fos