Everyone has a cell phone, it gives the idea like it’s a required tool to existing as a human. We are continually connected to email and social media which creates some serious FOMO (fear of missing out) if you can’t connect to service or even worse forget your phone just one time because once is all it will take. I’m working on becoming a little more conscious at home and teaching my kids phone etiquette.
In researching different ways to teach my son some serious phone etiquette at home and out and about in the world, I found a cool product that can be for personal or business use. It’s called the WindFall Coaster and it must save your family dinnertime or your next outing with friends.
Next time you’re out with friends and you meet up for dinner, see what the first thing everyone does upon being seated. Phones are in hand and placed on the table. We’re tethered by that invisible cord of feeling like we need to be connected at all times. You settle in, order a drink and chat and catch up and then it happens. A buzz and the whole table vibrates. While it could be an important email or call, more than likely it is a push notification that a friend posted a photo on Instagram or someone liked your last funny Facebook status. But you have to check right? Just in case. So you pick up your phone, distracted, and that causes a chain reaction and soon everyone at the table is checking out their phone. And just like that – your night of catching up and reconnecting is doomed, because while it might be the first distraction of the evening, it is guaranteed not to be the last. Unless you bring along the WindFall Coaster.
The WindFall Coaster is a gentle reminder to enjoy the people you are with and an easy way to give them your undivided attention. It invites you to place your phone face down and be present. The four elastomer dampeners absorb the phone vibration which results in a distraction-free experience without the need to look for your settings and make a lot of changes you’re likely to forget about later. The design also gets the phone directly off of the table and out of the way of the sometimes spilled drinks or other table debris. They come in a variety of colors for your preference and can even be used by restaurants and match to their particular color branding. Restaurants can opt for an instructional sticker to show patrons how to use it all while gently reminding them to enjoy the moment and the people they are with. Local spots like POSH restaurant are behind the idea and agree that something so simple can change how we enjoy dining out.
Dean Heckler, the WindFall Coaster’s designer, and Phoenix resident noted, “I’ve been asked often to create a phone stand. But for me, I look at my phone more than enough when it’s in my hand. When I set my phone down, I don’t want to be distracted by it. WindFall Coaster obscures and protects my phone’s screen while dampening vibration, It produces moments of peace while keeping my phone nearby. That’s all I want from a phone stand.”
You can buy your WindFall Coaster for $15 per unit and it comes in black gray, gray-white, bright red, seafoam, bright yellow or deep orange. Bulk packs can be purchased in sets of 12 for $149. I can’t think of a better way to teach phone etiquette in your home or restaurant than with this gentle reminder. It’s a small price to pay for better phone etiquette and sharing your undivided attention with those you care about the most.
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© Taryn Jeffries 2016