The Virtual World’s Current Addiction: Phubbing

Abstract

The aim of this work is to analyze both the reasons that young adults exhibit phubbing behaviors and the effects of these behaviors on their lives. Following a qualitative research approach, this study has been designed using a case study method. Selected using the criterion sampling method, participants consisted of a total of 9 university students studying in a School of Education in Turkey. The criterion used to include individuals into the sample group was 'using a smartphone instead of actively participating in an on-going discussion being had by one' s surrounding peers' as well as a high score on the Phubbing Scale form. Data were obtained using a semi-structured interview form composed of 18 open-ended questions. Both a descriptive and content analysis were used to evaluate the data. The study' s findings revealed that not only did smartphones negatively affect interpersonal relations, but also that phubbers lacked communication skills, experienced difficulty establishing and maintaining eye contact while using a smartphone, and misunderstood what was being discussed. Some participants even stated that they would become completely disconnected from the social environment while using a smartphone. It is argued in the discussion section that since smartphones have all the same features and abilities as traditional computers, they carry the same potential addictions as computers. Yet, instead of being restricted to a table, these addictions are now able to manifest in every aspect, environment, and moment of one' s life. As such, since phubbing carries with it a type of addiction that is much more devious and pervasion than most previous virtual reality related addictions, it is recommended that further research be conducted before serious psychopathological and sociological problems begin to manifest themselves throughout the population.

Mobile Phone Addiction, Phubbing, and Depression Among Men and Women: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

“…A high score on the Communication Disturbance subscale means that, being preoccupied by his or her mobile in other people's presence, the person interrupts the process of face-to-face communication. The results of the studies conducted to date show that ignoring the interlocutor(s) by using a smartphone in their presence may increase the sense of exclusion from the social environment [36]. Social exclusion may in turn increase the symptoms of depression [39].…”

“…Previous studies have shown that phubbing is positively correlated with mobile phone addiction [20,35], which in turn is used as a tool helping in situations of loneliness, anxiety, and worry, and with deprivation in situations of being far from one's phone [35]. Phubbing, however, not only does not help but actually aggravates phubbers' problems: smartphones increase the sense of exclusion from the social environment during smartphone use [36]. Phubbed individuals experience social exclusion too, which in turn increases their need to be in the center of attention in their important reference groups and induces them to use social media in order to reduce the sense of exclusion [23].…”

<p>The Effect of Parental Phubbing on Teenager’s Mobile Phone Dependency Behaviors: The Mediation Role of Subjective Norm and Dependency Intention</p>

“…Phubbing, a composite of “phone” and “snubbing” proposed in the Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English, refers to the social phenomenon of looking at a mobile device while interacting with others, which ultimately results in a disturbance of conversation and communication 30. This phubbing behavior has been observed in various demographic groups, including young adults31,32 and adults 33. Checking a mobile phone while engaged in other activities has become a common phenomenon in families and schools 34–36.…”

Effects of Phubbing: Relationships With Psychodemographic Variables

“…Using mobile phones may change habits significantly and lead to the performance of unusual behaviors. For example, excessive mobile phone use may decrease the level of eye contact and weaken the ability to connect to and influence others and, therefore, impact interpersonal relationships negatively (Karadağ et al., 2016; Shellenbarger, 2013). What is more, research conducted with students showed that they got anxious while being away from their mobile phones (Ling, 2005) and got stressed after excessive phone use (Beranuy, Oberst, Carbonell, & Chamarro, 2009; Lepp, Barkley, & Karpinski, 2014).…”

“…Phubbing is often perceived as a disrespectful (T’ng, Ho, & Low, 2018), rude, and socially inappropriate (Vanden Abeele, Antheunis, & Schouten, 2016) behavior. Surprisingly, although people are aware of the negative consequences of phubbing, they continue phubbing in social contexts (Karadağ et al., 2016). Similarly, young people acknowledge that they frequently engage in phubbing although they view such behavior as annoying and disrespectful (Aagaard, 2019).…”