Phone Etiquette Is In The Toilet

Phone Etiquette Is In The Toilet

From ICYMI by Slate Podcasts

May 20, 2026 · 37 min

About this episode

Kate Lindsay and guest Matt Buechele discuss the declining phone etiquette in social settings.

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer and comedian Matt Buechele to talk about how the etiquette around phones is shifting, with previously phone-free spaces now welcoming them into the room. In almost all cases, this makes the experience worse for everyone else, but rather than rebelling, people are starting to accept this as a fact of life. Enough! Let Kate watch Hokum in peace! This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay. Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Kate Lindsay

Guest: Matt Buechele

Topics covered

  • phone etiquette
  • social norms
  • technology impact
  • comedy
  • cultural shifts

Keywords

  • phone etiquette
  • social media
  • cultural norms
  • technology
  • comedy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Slate Podcasts

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