Are you guilty of ‘foobing’? Regularly snooping on your partner to look at your phone could be damaging to your marriage, research warns
Phubbing refers to a person interacting with their phone instead of people
For some people, a moment without your phone in your hand can seem like a lifetime.
Now, a study warns how our obsession with our phones can affect our relationships.
Scientists at Nigde Omer Hälisdemir University have begun to investigate the effects of ‘phubbing’ – snubbing others for your phone – in married couples.
Alarmingly, they found that couples who regularly fudged each other had lower marital satisfaction.
‘When individuals perceive that their romantic partners are fuming more frequently, they experience more conflict and less intimacy in the relationship,’ the team explained in their study.
Scientists at Nigde Omer Hälisdemir University have begun to investigate the effects of ‘phubbing’ – snubbing others for your phone – in married couples. Worryingly, they found that couples who regularly fudged each other had lower marital satisfaction (stock image).
What is phubing?
Phubbing is a portmanteau of the words ‘phone’ and ‘snubbing’.
It refers to a person interacting with their phone rather than interacting with a person – whether it’s your partner or in other social situations.
Two people can phub at the same time, known as double phubbing.
Fobbing a friend is known as friend fobbing or phubbing.
Phubbing is a process where a person is distracted by their phone while having a conversation with others.
‘Phubbing behavior, which we can call the victim of (phubby) or (foober), manifests itself as a behavior that is observed everywhere in today’s technologically advanced society,’ the team wrote in their study, published in Computers in Human Behavior.
In their study, the researchers set out to study the effects of this behavior on married couples.
They enrolled 712 married individuals from Turkey (347 women and 365 men), with a mean age of 37 years.
These participants were surveyed on their marital satisfaction, tendency to fumble, and communication skills.
The results will come as bad news for those who can’t put their phones down – phubbing significantly predicts military discontent.
Lead author of the study, Izet Permaksiz, said: ‘Our research demonstrates the power of effective communication, particularly in romantic couples.
‘Marital conflict mainly occurs when people are ignored by their significant others and this ignorance leads to relationship dissatisfaction and can affect personal well-being.
‘People should be aware of being present with their loved ones to make sure they take care of them and put their phones away.’
The research comes shortly after a study was published showing that Foobars are more likely to develop certain mental health problems.
Researchers at the University of Oklahoma found depressed people ‘foob’ their friends more often – either in social situations such as pubs or cafes – compared to those without depression.
Socially anxious individuals who may prefer online social interaction to face-to-face communication exhibit more phubbing behavior, the authors said.
Signs that you are a PHUBBER
Here are signs that can help you tell if you’re a phubber:
Your phone is always out when you’re with your partner Most of your conversations with your partner are kept short because you’re often on your phone You often stop paying attention to what your partner is saying when your phone rings You fill in the blanks Check your phone When you’re watching TV together, you go to your phone during commercial breaks, you make non-urgent calls when you’re spending time with your partner.
Source: Julie Hart, Hart Center