Have you ever found yourself checking your phone during a conversation? You might believe it is a matter of urgency or that you are simply multitasking while still paying attention to the other person. Nevertheless, this tendency to prioritize your phone over active listening and engagement in the dialogue is referred to as phubbing.

Phubbing involves disregarding someone in favour of using your phone. The term is derived from a combination of "phone" and "snubbing." Individuals who are subjected to phubbing often feel marginalized and overlooked, as the person engrossed in their device is not fully present mentally.

Research published in Psychological Reports indicates that individuals who frequently engage in phubbing may also experience a decline in their empathy, which is the capacity to comprehend another person's emotions and to view situations from their perspective.

Phubbing reduces empathy

Phubbing is associated with a modest decrease in empathy, which is the capacity to comprehend and share the emotions of others. This decline in empathy can trigger a chain reaction, leading individuals to become less inclined to assist others or participate in prosocial behaviours.

The researchers conducted two segments of the study. The initial segment involved an online survey with 220 English-speaking adults, focusing on phubbing behaviours, levels of empathy, self-control, and intentions to engage in prosocial actions. The results indicated that individuals who frequently engaged in phubbing exhibited lower intentions to act in a prosocial manner.

While this segment did not directly link empathy to phubbing, the researchers discovered that phubbing negatively impacts self-control—defined here as the difficulty in resisting the impulse to check one’s phone—which subsequently diminishes empathy and, in turn, reduces prosocial behaviours.

This phenomenon can be viewed as a chain reaction. When self-control is compromised, individuals are more likely to succumb to the temptation of frequently checking their phones, leading to their disengagement from social interactions. This lack of active listening prevents them from grasping the emotions of others. Consequently, as empathy wanes, so does the inclination to act with kindness or support.

Habitual and momentary phubbing

There are two categories of phubbing: habitual phubbing, characterized by daily occurrences, and occasional phubbing, which takes place less frequently.

Research conducted by the study's authors revealed that individuals who engage in habitual phubbing tend to exhibit lower self-control, rendering them more susceptible to distractions and less capable of maintaining focus during conversations.

In contrast, occasional phubbers do not experience the same detriment to their ability to perceive the emotions of others during discussions. 

This distinction is significant, as it provides insight into the psychological state of habitual phubbers, suggesting that their consistent neglect of interpersonal interactions in favour of their phones may reflect underlying psychological challenges.

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