Relationship: Phubbing (Phone Snubbing): What You Need to Know

Phubbing is otherwise known as Phone Snubbing.
Phubbing is coined as part of a linguistic experiment by Macquarie Dictionary to describe the habit of snubbing someone in favour of a mobile phone (Wikipedia). It was first coined as a term in May 2012. An Australian advertising agency created this word to describe the growing phenomenon of people ignoring their friends and family who were right in front of them and instead scrolling through their phones.

Soon after, the “stop phubbing” campaign was launched. A study by Health Line found that more than 17 percent of people phub others at least four times in a day. Almost 32 percent of people report being phubbed two or three times in a day.

Phubbing is the practice of snubbing others in favour of our mobile phones. We have all been victims or perpetrators, but we might not notice that we have been phubbed (or are phubbing) because it has become such a normal part of our lives. It is a threat to four fundamental needs:
• Belongingness
• Self-esteem
• Meaningful existence
• Control

According to research, phubbing has a lot of effect on our relationship and well-being. Effects like:

1. It interrupts one’s ability to be present and engage with people around us.
2. It makes an experience during face-to-face conversation less satisfying for everyone involved, including the guilty phubber.
3. Spouses who phub each other experience higher rate of depression.
4. It creates insecurity in relationship.
5. It makes you and your partner feel lousy.
6. It encourages inadequate or poor communication.

How will you know you are a phubber?
To know that you are guilty of phubbing is in your hand – your phone. If you are always with your phone because you do not want to miss a call, a tweet, or status update, you are guilty of phubbing. There are three main signs:

• Managing or dealing with two conversations at the same time, on your phone and in person.
• Immediately bringing out your phone at social settings or gatherings
• You cannot get through a meal without checking your phone.Some people might be nervous to give up on social media but there are steps you can take in order to stop phubbing.

1. Make a meal, no-phone zone. When it is time to eat, put your phone away and make it a time to engage with people in front of you and have a sincere conversation.
2. Leave your phone behind while going on a date or to a social gathering.
3. Challenge yourself. Make ignoring your phone a challenge.You need to seek help for phubbing when checking your phone repeatedly becomes an impulse you cannot control.

Adeyemo Oluwatoyosi Gorgeous

Gorgeous is a young lover of life or nature. She likes making her opinion and ideas about life, relationship and religion known. She also loves other individual views about life. She is a lover of music and Christ.