Phone snubbing or "phubbing" is a mobile epidemic in the United States that involves cheating on a buddy, boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife with their mobile phone. The rude and unkind trending behavior often caused by phone addiction could have some major repercussions. A new study shows that phubbers' putting their smartphone before their lover or spouse causes various side effects such as depression and lower life satisfaction, and can damage the relationship with a partner.
The study was published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior. It was conducted by Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business in Texas.
Lead researcher Prof. James Roberts and his team surveyed 453 adults throughout the U.S. It conducted two different experiments.
The first experiment included 308 volunteers. They were asked to list various phubbing behaviors involving issues such as glancing at a mobile phone or putting it within reach when with the partner. Researchers then made a 9-item scale showing phubbing's frequency.
The second experiment included 145 adult participants. It focused more on the effects of phubbing. Couples were asked questions about their relationships including how strong they were, behaviors they observed, and how much their partner's actions made them worried or depressed, according to Digital Trends.
Roberts explained that when people paid more attention to their phones than their significant other it caused conflict in the relationship. Such guilty parties are dubbed as "phubbers."
Phubbing happens quite frequently. Based on the survey's results, 46.3 percent of the respondents said that they had experienced the annoying behavior by their lover or spouse, and 22.6 percent said that it had caused relationship problems.
Spending a few seconds looking down at a phone can add up. The study's results show that within time a partner can feel unhappy or even inadequate.
In a Yahoo Health interview Roberts explained that higher rates of phubbing resulted in more relationship fighting and unhappiness. A total 37 percent of the survey's volunteers said that they were depressed at least sometimes.
Victims of phubbing can get help at stopphubbing.com, according to Tech Times. It provides helpful information about phubbing and how to deal with it.
This video explains symptoms and treatment for cell phone addiction: