to tell guests their phones are not invited?

[amilliontimes]

I'm so angry right now I honestly don't understand why you would want to visit someone's house to browse Facebook for basically the whole visit!!

I don't get to see my DB much, he probably texts me 1 or 2 Mondays a month to visit. I am very fond of him so always try to make the visits happen. I don't think I'm boring. I engage in conversation and attempt to ask questions, to which he doesn't hear me cos he's on his god damn phone!! I can't understand why he would want to visit me and DD if he isn't going to engage in conversation.

He's been here an hour and we've had a mug of tea and there hasn't been more than a laugh out of him when he saw a 'picture on Facebook' would I be unreasonable to unplug my wifi or should I buck up and say something to him?

I don't want to fight with him. We used to be close but I honestly don't think I can work on this relationship if he continues this.

Say something to him.

He may need his phone for emergencies but, Facebook isn't one of them. I agree with you though. I wouldn't check my phone in those circumstance, it's extremely rude

Say something to him. My mother used to drive me mad with this. Once took her out for an expensive Sunday dinner to say thanks a few years back. Spent the whole time ignoring me with her head in the phone.

Nothing wrong in checking your phone every now and then but I think it's bad manners personally to do it constantly.

When in company I only use my phone if OH or DD need to contact me. I always apologise when I take a text or a call as well. I think it is very rude to use social media when in company.

I wouldn't be able to bite my tongue either.

YANBU. A girl I work with always asks me to go to lunch with her (so I assume she likes my company) but then sits scrolling through her phone the whole time and we end up having a half-arsed conversation as she isn't really listening. So I started to just make excuses and not join her. How can people not know how rude it is?

Say something.

"Are you going to get off your phone and chat with me because if not, I've got other stuff I could he getting on with".

YANBU.

Change the wifi code and don't give out the new one. I was the first time a teen relative walked in and basically said 'hello Aunty Barbara can I have the WiFi code please'.

It's just so rude and 99% of these 'emergencies' that people seem to constantly live in fear of that means they can't ever be out of sight/earshot of their phones are nothing of the sort.

Switch off the wifi. If he just wants to sit and browse FB he can do that somewhere else. How rude!!

I think it's really rude tbh but happening more and more.

I went on a training course about children and attachment difficulties a couple of years ago and one of the issues discussed was how children within the wider community are starting to show signs of poor attachment due to their parents spending much of their time looking at screens thus not giving enough face to face/eye contact to their kids. I don't know how much truth there was in that claim but significant and meaningful communication does involve looking at each others' faces.

One of the participants on the course said that whenever he hosts family get togethers he makes all his guests (young and old) hand phones and electronic devices over before they come in and returns them when guests are leaving. I think it's a great idea but haven't been brave enough to do it myself yet!

I find it very frustrating to try and have a conversation with someone who is just looking at a screen.

text him
put your bloody phone away and talk to me

Totally just unplug the wifi, tell him when he notices after a few visits that its so you can have quality time with him and not the top of his head when he is looking at his fone.

Yes, drop him a text and ask how he's doing!

Or post onto facebook "having lunch with my brother whilst he spends all the time on his phone" and tag him into it

Yes, do what wizzywig said!

Nice one wizzywig

"So I started to just make excuses and not join her"

I wouldn't make half hearted excuses. I would tell her why.

YANBU,
except, did you just suggest you were here on mumsnet whilst he is with you and on FB? Isnt that a little ironic? apologies if I misunderstood op.

I was thinking this thread was a wedding (we want you to be fully present) one and was going to say "YABU - stop it" but in this case YADNBU. Tell him to put the damned phone down and actually be part of the damned visit or don't come.

YANBU - but tell him.

YWBU in future to stipulate guests couldn't bring phones - I would take my phone everywhere. However as a guest it would remain in my bag unless I was contacted - at which case I would apologise and check whether it was a call from DD's school/ex-DH or whether it could be ignored.

So my DB left a while ago to go home. It occurred to me how ironic it was that i posted on mumsnet complaining about this while I was basically doing a similar thing (I was out making more tea while I posted it).

So I unplugged my wifi as I thought maybe if he actually engaged in conversation/ played with DD that he would enjoy himself and not actually feel the need to go on his phone anyway. After 15 minutes of moaning about our slow internet and that we have bad phone coverage in our home he put his feet up and started watching a football match that DH had recorded then he asked did we have any crisps to eat and continued to more or less ignore us.

Now, I'm aware that I am a good few years older than DB but I can't be this out of touch or totally boring that he wouldn't want have a conversation with me DH came home and there was a small bit of sports talk but f all else! Is this just what young people are like now a days?