How did 'phone snubbing' become the new normal?

We are all guilty of occasionally snubbing our mates for our phones, but what causes this behaviour, known as 'phubbing,' and how did it come to be regarded as normal?

Research from psychologists at the University of Kent suggests people's internet addiction is leading them increasingly to 'phub' and experience being 'phubbed' in social situations. This, in turn, leads them to view this phubbing behaviour as normal.

The research, by Varoth Chotpitayasunondh and Karen Douglas, identified a number of factors that were linked to smartphone addiction. These were internet addiction, a fear of missing out and a lack of self-control.

This smartphone addiction, in turn, was directly linked to people demonstrating phubbing behaviour. The researchers further found that it was this experience of phubbing - and of being phubbed themselves - that made people more likely to think that phubbing was 'normal' behaviour.

The research, thought to be the first to consider both the causes and consequences of this modern-day phenomena, is likely to lead to further investigations of the impact of phubbing on the quality of social interaction.

The study is published in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour.