A Hundred Modern Rules: The Etiquette Handbook for Phones, Group Chats, Money, Work, and Life
Modern life didn't get rid of etiquette - it just moved it. It moved into the three dots that appear, disappear, and reappear when someone is typing. It moved into the group chat that suddenly goes silent. It moved into the question of whether "k" is a rude text, whether your Slack delay looks hostile, and whether liking your ex's photo is a peace offering or a provocation.
We didn't lose the rules. We lost the instructions.
A Hundred Modern Rules is a practical, thoughtful, and often funny guide to navigating the social complexity of the digital age - the phones, the group chats, the video calls, the money conversations, the dating apps, the shared spaces, and the sensitive topics that old etiquette never imagined.
Instead of outdated formalities, this book offers crowdsourced wisdom: clear, modern rules shaped by what actually makes people feel respected, considered, and at ease today. Some rules are nearly universal; others live in the gray zones where context matters. All of them help reduce the guesswork and anxiety that come from improvising your way through modern interactions.
Inside, you'll find guidance for:
Phones & Attention - when to be present, when to multitask, and when to put the device down
Messaging & Group Chats - how to avoid accidental snubs, misreads, and social friction
Social Media - the unspoken rules of liking, posting, tagging, and lurking
Video Calls & Remote Work - how to communicate clearly when tone and body language disappear
Dating & Relationships in the App Era - the new norms of texting, timing, and emotional clarity
Money & Splitting Bills - how to avoid awkwardness, resentment, and mismatched expectations
Hosting & Being Hosted - the modern version of being a good guest and a thoughtful host
Public & Shared Spaces - how to coexist without conflict
Identity, Boundaries & Sensitive Topics - how to navigate conversations where stakes are high and missteps matter
This is not a book of rigid rules or moral judgments. It's a handbook for being thoughtful in a world where tone, timing, and context are harder to read - and where small choices carry more weight than ever.
If you've ever wondered whether you're being rude, too slow to reply, too quick to react, too online, not online enough, or simply unsure what the moment calls for, this book gives you clarity, confidence, and a way to move through modern life with ease.
A hundred rules follow. Take the ones that help. Argue with the ones that don't. That, too, is good etiquette.
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