Have you heard of the term Phubber?  I have not, so I researched it to find out what it exactly is.

A phubber according to Dictionary.com is defined as:

to ignore (a person or one's surroundings) when in a social situation by busying oneself with a phone or other mobile device: Hey, are you phubbing me?

If you spend more quality time with your phone instead or your significant other, if you are compulsively checking your phone for notifications or constantly scrolling through your social media feeds I am sorry to say you might be a phubber.

The word phubbing is a combination of ‘phone’ and ‘snubbing’.

Apparently this is a real thing, people are actually getting addicted to their phones and it appears to affect young extroverted woman more than any other class.  Who would not have guessed that?

According to an expert on relationships Julie Hart, from the Hart Centre:

According to studies in US and UK, on average we check our phones every four to six minutes of our waking hours … that’s over 150 times a day.

Does this sound like you?

I recently saw a CBS News 60 minute piece that interviewed a former Google product manager who said that designers of the apps for phones aren’t just programming for consumers, they’re actually programming consumers, it is called Brain Hacking.

As I asked in the title of this piece are you a Phubber?  Well you might be a phubber if...

  • You have your phone out and close to you when you are with your partner, at all times
  • You keep your conversations with your partner short because your attention is more focused on what is on your phone
  • You break your attention from the conversation you are having with your partner to look at or respond to your phone
  • You check your phone when there is a lull in the conversation
  • If you are watching TV together, you look at your phone when there is an ad break
  • You take a call that is not urgent when you are having quality time with your partner.

So put that smart phone down and pay attention to your significant other, it will help you in the long run.  Personal relationships are much more rewarding than one with your phone.

More From WKMI