Do you check your phone even when you're out with your friends? Do you mix texting with dating? There's a perfect term for that, and it's not good.
These types of actions are now known as phubbing, or phone snubbing, and it's believed to be hurting some of your dearest relationships. A group of researchers from Baylor University in Texas went to find out how damaging it is by developing what they called the phubbing scale.
For the study, the team conducted two sets of surveys participated by more than 400 adult men and women all together.
In the first part of the study, they tried to developed the phubbing scale by surveying at least 300 people.
Scenarios that are considered phubbing include placing the phone on the table while eating together, answering texts or calls while in the middle of a conversation, checking phones during mealtime, grabbing the mobile device when there's a conversation lull, and using the device during leisure time with partners.
They also assessed the extent of the effect of phubbing among romantic couples in the second set of the surveys, of which around 145 people participated.
All in all, more than 45% of the respondents claimed they experienced phubbing while almost 23% said that the action was putting some strain into their relationships. For those who experienced phubbing, around 36% said they felt depressed in some instances, much higher than the 32% who claimed they were very satisfied with their relationship.
Meanwhile, those who felt less secure of their relationship might feel the effects of phubbing worse than those who were more secure.
According to the researchers, this study is significant since it outlines how the effect of phubbing differs from cell phone addiction or cell phone conflict, among others. Further, it shows how using cell phones when with a partner matters, contrary to what some people believe.