The term “telesnob” refers to people who consult their smartphone while they are surrounded by their friends. Depending on mental health and personality, the risk of adopting this type of behavior would be higher.
- Telesnobbing refers to being focused on your phone, in the presence of other people.
- Among people addicted to their smartphone, some are afraid to part with it: we talk about nomophobia.
- According to the researchers, turning off or returning your phone in the presence of someone now becomes a signal of respect and attention.
You may have noticed it during a dinner with friends or family, everyone settles down and several people, if not everyone, put their phone on the table. Then, over the course of the meal, some people begin to consult it, even though they are surrounded by close people. This phenomenon has a name:telesnobbery”, or ignoring someone’s company to pay attention to their smartphone. At first glance, this behavior may seem harmless, but it can have repercussions on long-term social relationships. A research team from the University of Georgia, in the United States, devoted a study to it, published in Behavior & Information Technology. Juhyung Sun and his colleagues were interested in the causes of the “telesnobbery“.
Profiles of people at risk
According to their results, there is a link between this type of behavior, depression and social anxiety. “People who are depressed are more likely to ignore friends because of their phones, and people with social anxiety, who may prefer virtual to face-to-face interactions, may exhibit similar behavior.“, explain the researchers in their study. They also note that certain personality traits can contribute to this, like neurotic people.”And of course, people who are depressed or suffering from social anxiety are more at risk of smartphone addiction.“, underlines the main author of the study, Juhyung Sun.
A greater risk in groups of three people
Secondly, the scientist wanted to understand why so many people tend to become “telesnob“According to her, the addiction to smartphones contributes strongly to this, but also the fact of being used to receiving notifications very regularly. “People are really sensitive to notificationsshe explains. With each vibration or sound, they look, consciously or not, at their phone.” The multitude of applications found on telephones largely contributes to these reflexes. Previous work also shows that the risk of “telesnobbery” would be higher from three people. “It may seem normal, they tell themselves that it’s only her and that the person who speaks does not notice it”, she says. The pandemic and social distancing have increased the time spent on screens, including those on smartphones. “Will people, especially the most anxious, continue to be ‘telesnob’ when they physically reunite? asks the scientist. Time will tell us.“
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