Respecifying Phubbing: Video-Based Analysis of Smartphone Use in Co-Present Interactions

The concept of phubbing (generally defined as a practice of ignoring co-present others by focusing on one's mobile device) is now widely used in studies aiming to understand the effects of smartphone use on co-present interactions. However, most of these studies are quantitative in nature and fail to grasp the interactional context of smartphone use. Drawing on video recordings and utilizing multimodal interaction analysis, the present study examines phubbing in naturally occurring interactions among young adults. Contrary to most previous research, the analysis reveals that disengagement often precedes self-initiated smartphone use rather than follows it. The study identifies factors that affect whether phubbing is reciprocated and whether it is oriented to as problematic. As a result of the analysis, an alternative conceptualization of phubbing is offered. By reflecting on participants’ ways of managing phubbing and its consequences, we discuss design solutions for supporting them in this task.