As technology advances so do cell phones. First generation cell phones only had monotone ring tones that sounded like those old retro game sound effects. So needless to say there was not much choice regarding ring tones back then. But that all changed with second generation phones as polyphonic tones were introduced and in third generation tones we could use true tones or even mp3 files as our ring tones.

Nowadays people use personalized ring tones and some use a separate ring tone for each caller or caller group. With so much choice it is very rare for two people to use the same ring tone. But there are some ethics to choosing a ring tone. We can’t use any ring tone and then expect people to be okay with that. Therefore there are some things one must take into consideration before choosing a ring tone and I will be discussing some of these here.

Are The Lyrics Appropriate?

Like mentioned above nowadays the more popular ring tones are sons or small sections of a song. While selecting such ring tones it is important to choose such a ring tone that is not abusive or offensive since this ring tone will be heard in public every time your phone rings. There are a surprising number of offensive songs and choosing such songs as your ring tone is not advisable. As it may offend your friends or co-workers ad make them feel uncomfortable.

Type of Music:

There are different kinds of music. They are jazz, hip hop, pop, rock, heavy metal and so on. And everyone has their own choice. Not everybody likes to hear hip hop and similarly not everybody likes to listen to heavy metal. Keep that in mind while selecting your next ring tone. Like before selecting a heavy metal song or any other ‘noisy’ song as your ring tone is not advisable. Instead soft songs or instrumentals should be used as ring tones.

Volume:

Finally it is extremely important to keep the ring tone at an acceptable volume. Some people keep the volume of their cell phones so high that every times it rings the people surrounding that person almost jump out of their skin. This is just rude and the volume must always be kept at an acceptable level. If you are in a noisy environment such as a market then keeping a high volume is understandable but when in you are in a closed environment with minimum noise then it is best to keep your volume at its minimum.

Silent Profile - Please Use It:

All cell phones have a built in silent profile. What it does is that it turns off the ring tone and turns on the vibrator. Now in case of an incoming phone call, the cell phone will only vibrate instead of ringing. This profile is very important and must be frequently used. While in schools or libraries or when in a religious gathering such as mosques and churches, the silent profile must be activated so that we do not disturb other people.