MODERN MANNERS FOR
THE PERFECT GIRL’S NIGHT OUT
Phone
amnesty, next day social sharing and other etiquette tips
With new research highlighting the challenges of organising a night out, premium gin-maker Pinkster and etiquette authority Debrett’s have produced a modern manual for ensuring stress-free evenings.
The Girls’ Guide To Having Fun (In an Orderly Fashion) identifies the top ten party pitfalls and provides advice on how to avoid them.
Its publication follows a YouGov survey commissioned by Pinkster, showing that 83% of British women aged 25-55 admit its stressful arranging a group night out. Nearly two thirds (63%) cited finding a date that suits everyone as the most common cause of stress, followed by getting friends to actually commit to the evening (46%).
People constantly on their phones (28%), friends suggesting somewhere too expensive (27%), and disputes over the bill (26%), were revealed as the biggest annoyances on the night itself, together with embarrassing photos being uploaded on social media (20%), too many selfies being taken (15%), and pals bragging about their children (14%).
Will Holt, director of Pinkster Gin, said: “We might be communicating with each other more than ever, but actually corralling and controlling a group of friends seems to be a minefield of social dilemmas.
“In a sign
of the times, our research showed that the biggest bugbear on an evening out is
friends being glued to their phones, ahead of disputes over splitting the bill.
“As the
pink gin pioneer, we’ve fuelled many a girl’s night out and hopefully our
practical tips will help ensure that your next get-together is the spirited
success it deserves to be.”
Renée Kuo, managing director of Debrett’s said: “The Pinkster poll reveals that arranging a night out with friends can be fraught with challenges and that far from improving communication, our digital devices often hinder it instead.
“We
were delighted to work with Pinkster on this new ten-point guide,
which offers advice for overcoming a range of
etiquette obstacles, including a meandering WhatsApp
group, friends paying more attention to their phones than the conversation, and
an unwelcome exposé of the night’s events on social media. This all goes
to show that etiquette is as relevant now as it’s ever been.”
The guide
light-heartedly highlights ten scenarios and how to tackle them:
1.
The WhatsApp Planning Committee
Go bold
with dates and venues, and spare anyone who couldn’t make the evening a running
commentary.
2. The
Contagious Phone-Reach
Agree a phone
amnesty with devices out of sight at least for the meal, if not the whole
evening.
3. The
Unsplittable Bill
4. The
Not-So Humble Brag
If you know
certain pals are watching their spending, offer to knock a bit of their share,
they can always turn you down if they prefer to keep it equal.
Tempting as it
may be to engage in one-upmanship if someone starts waxing lyrical about her
eldest’s glittering SAT results, simply smile and offer your congratulations.
There are two
approaches to unexpected organised fun: embrace the spontaneity and get stuck
in or leave fast.
5. The
Surprise Karaoke Bomb
6. The
Selfie Obsessive
Assuming the
phone embargo has been lifted (or roundly ignored), pool pictures on group chat
but hold back on sharing on social media until you’ve all okayed then in the
clear light of day.
7. The
Self-Imposed Curfew
8. The
Taxi Overshare
Padding your
expected return by a couple of hours will preserve domestic harmony and may
prove a useful buffer when the Grease Megamix comes on for the second time.
9. The
Indiscreet Entrance
Preserve your
4.6 star Uber rating by remembering some useful courtesies: try not to keep
your driver waiting, respect the environment of the taxi (no toxic takeaways)
and don’t treat it like a mobile DJ booth with ever-changing music requests.
When returning
home, do some damage control and let sleeping children, partners and flatmates
lie by switching your phone to silent and removing noisy high heels.
10. The
‘Home Safe’ Promise
If you promise
to touch base when you get home, don’t leave it until the following day after a
leisurely lie-in and a hearty breakfast.
The guide comes
free with any purchase made from www.pinkstergin.com
goldenrulespinkster
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