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How did ignoring people for our smartphones become the norm?

Date:
June 7, 2016
Source:
University of Kent
Summary:
It's common now to see people snubbing social companions to concentrate on their smartphone. But what causes this behavior -- known as 'phubbing' -- and how did it come to be regarded as normal?
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It's common now to see people snubbing social companions to concentrate on their smartphone. But what causes this behaviour -- known as 'phubbing' -- and how did it come to be regarded as normal?

Research from psychologists at the University of Kent suggests people's internet addiction is leading them increasingly to 'phub' -- and experience being 'phubbed' -- in social situations. This, in turn, leads them to view this phubbing behaviour as normal.

The research, by Varoth Chotpitayasunondh and Professor Karen Douglas from the University's School of Psychology, identified a number of factors that were linked to smartphone addiction. These were internet addiction, a fear of missing out and a lack of self-control.

This smartphone addiction, in turn, was directly linked to people demonstrating phubbing behaviour. The researchers further found that it was this experience of phubbing -- and of being phubbed themselves -- that made people more likely to think that phubbing was 'normal' behaviour.

The research, thought to be the first to consider both the causes and consequences of this modern-day phenomena, is likely to lead to further investigations of the impact of phubbing on the quality of social interaction.

It is published as "How "phubbing" becomes the norm: The antecedents and consequences of snubbing via smartphone" in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour.


Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Kent. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Varoth Chotpitayasunondh, Karen M. Douglas. How “phubbing” becomes the norm: The antecedents and consequences of snubbing via smartphone. Computers in Human Behavior, 2016; 63: 9 DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.018

Cite This Page:

University of Kent. "How did ignoring people for our smartphones become the norm?." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 June 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160607113010.htm>.
University of Kent. (2016, June 7). How did ignoring people for our smartphones become the norm?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160607113010.htm
University of Kent. "How did ignoring people for our smartphones become the norm?." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160607113010.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

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