(Source: Business Wire)According to the recent "Intel Holiday Mobile Etiquette" study conducted by Harris Interactive* and sponsored by Intel Corporation, most online U.S. adults (80 percent) feel there are unspoken rules about mobile technology usage, and approximately 7 in 10 (69 percent) agreed that violations of these unspoken mobile etiquette guidelines, such as checking e-mails, sending text messages and making phone calls while in the company of others, are unacceptable.

Mobile etiquette breeches have particular relevance during the upcoming holiday season, as the survey found that more than half (52 percent) would be offended if they were at a holiday party and someone attempted to secretly use an Internet-enabled device, such as a laptop, netbook or cell phone, at the table. The restroom, however, doesn't seem to command the same reverence when it comes to mobile technology. Despite hygiene considerations and potentially awkward explanations, 75 percent feel it is perfectly appropriate to use Internet-enabled devices, including laptops, netbooks and cell phones, in the bathroom, with only 25 percent agreeing that it was inappropriate behavior.

Technology All the Time

The survey also found that 62 percent agree that mobile devices, such as laptops, netbooks and cell phones, are part of our daily lives and society needs to adapt to the fact that people use them at all times.

"The social rules for new technologies are continuing to be established across cultures and geographies around the world, and etiquette will continue to change and adapt over time along with it," said Dr. Genevieve Bell, renowned ethnographer and director of Intel's User Experience Group. "As technology becomes increasingly engrained in our daily lives and we attempt to strike the right balance between constant connectivity and setting boundaries on accessibility, the social and cultural guidelines for appropriate behavior surrounding mobile technology will continue to develop andchange."

According to the study, many online adults view the need for constant connectivity as a function of expectations set by the current business culture, with 55 percent agreeing that the nature of business today demands people always be connected via mobile devices, even if it means taking a laptop on vacation or answering a call during a meal.

"Etiquette surrounding mobile technology is becoming increasingly relevant, particularly in social situations such as holiday gatherings and events," said Anna Post, author and etiquette expert for the Emily Post Institute.