Are You Guilty of Phubbing?

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What is Phubbing?

You must have come across this word on social media or while surfing the Internet. So what does the word phubbing mean? Well, phubbing is the act of snubbing someone by being busy on your phone. When you are with someone and instead of talking to that person you keep using your phone, you are phubbing. Simply put, it is a combination of phone+snubbing. Now you must be wondering how many times you have done so. To be very honest, we all have done it many times, probably without realizing. So are you guilty of phubbing now? A lot or a little?

Phubbing according to Urban Dictionary is-

phubbing

If you are quite the phone addict, you might have ‘phubbed’ a few times already. Do you want to to be sure whether you are a phubber or not? Try answering these two simple questions and you will understand where you stand.

Do you often find yourself glued to your phone in the middle of a conversation?

And then an embarrassing “Sorry, where were we?”

Have you ever laughed out loud seeing something on your phone in the presence of another person?

Like some funny Facebook posts or a WhatsApp video? Also, when you are in a movie hall, do you often find yourself asking your friends to explain what’s happening on the screen as you were busy with the phone?

If the answer is yes then congratulations! You are a phubber already.

Did you know that Mumbai is one of the famous phubbing hotspots across world?

Why are we guilty of phubbing and yet, don’t plan to do much to change ourselves?

Psychologists say that phubbing hurts one-to-one communication. The moment you check your phone, even for a second, you break the conversation forever. You can never start from where you left. Moreover, the other person can feel left alone or ignored, even if for a moment. Therefore, he or she may feel less interested in continuing the conversation with the same enthusiasm. In fact, the mere presence of one mobile phone can impact the conversation between two people deeply.

what is phubbing

More than anything, phubbing can be a real danger when it comes to relationships. Imagine a date out with your special one where your partner just keeps answering WhatsApp texts or calls or keeps posting pics on Instagram. Would you like it? Probably, not. This is how phone snubbing is taking a toll on modern relationships. While staying updated with currrent affairs is good, being obsessed with your smart phone is not. Taking your date out for a romantic dinner but spending most of the time replying back your WhatsApp messages can only hurt his/her feelings. Remember, WhatsApp messages, Facebook notifications, Twitter updates can never replace a person or the love and care.

So the next time you have a conversation with someone, keep the phone away. Instead, try to build a connection with the other person by means of heartfelt communication.

Images Courtesy: Camera Crew

Main image: via Pixabay

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