“Phubbing” describes the habit of snubbing someone you’re talking to in favour of a mobile phone. When you’re having a conversation with someone and they whip out their phone to look at it or engage in another online conversation; you’ve been phubbed! We’re all guilty of phubbing; we often pull our phones out to look for new notifications while talking to someone.
It may seem like a harmless thing to do, however, research is finding that it may be affecting your relationships.
5 Negative effects of phubbing
1. Phubbing makes face-to-face interactions less meaningful
A study found evidence that phubbing can have negative effects on closeness, connection and conversation quality. The results demonstrate that the mere presence of mobile phones can interfere with human relationships, an effect that is most clear when individuals are discussing personally meaningful topics.
2. Phubbing affects relationships.
When spouses phub each other, they’re more likely to experience depression and lower marital satisfaction. “If your life partner is on the phone, that means that they are prioritizing something else over you in those moments of togetherness,” and that hurts, says Emma Seppälä, a psychologist at Stanford and Yale universities and author of the Happiness Track. She says “Ironically, phubbing is meant to connect you, presumably, with someone through social media or texting, but it actually can severely disrupt your present-moment, in-person relationships.”
3. Phubbing can hurt your mental health
Phubbing threatens our four “fundamental needs” — belongingness, self-esteem, meaningful existence and control — by making phubbed people feel excluded and ostracized. This is particularly harmful because phubbing happens all the time.
4. Both the “phubber” and the “phubbed” are affected
Although it may seem like the only person phubbing affects is the person who is phubbed, research has proven otherwise. A study found that when people use their phones while eating with friends or family, they tend to enjoy their meal less and feel more distracted and less engaged than those who don’t use tech at the table. Phubbing also affects the “phubber”. When you’re stuck in the smartphone world, you miss out on things going on around you.
5. Phubbing may also be a sign of smartphone addiction
Phubbing may be a sign of smartphone addiction. Many experts consider a device habit worrisome when it begins to interfere with everyday life. In addition, phubbers are generally seen as less polite and inattentive
How to prevent phubbing.
- It takes conscious effort to stop phubbing. If you’re a chronic phubber, create and follow strict technology rules, such as putting your phone away while eating dinner and while talking to others. Try to stick to this rules, they can help you form new habits.
- If you’re the one being phubbed, Seppälä recommends first shifting your perspective. “Be patient and compassionate and don’t take offense, because they’re following an impulse,” she says. Do, however, take the time to calmly explain how phubbing makes you feel, especially if the person isn’t as bothered by the behavior as you are.
- Phone use may be contagious. People are more likely to use their phones when others around them are also using their phones. If you put your own phone away, you might influence the other persons behaviour
- Refuse to be phubbed! Take a stand and voice out when you’re being phubbed. Tell the phubber to put their phone away. You may not realise but phubbing affects you whether consciously or unconsciously.
Are you guilty of phubbing?
Source – Time health
