Phub Me Not, Let's Connect Instead

We loved Deutsche Welle’s Science Unscripted podcast on phubbing (“the act of snubbing someone in a social situation by looking at your phone instead of paying attention”) with Christiane Buttner. We all know how that feeling of connection to another can be lost when we see our conversational companion cast their eyes down to their phone, that feeling of being phubbed is not nice! Don’t do it and call it out when inflicted on you!

“But I can multitask” is the recurring response. The cognitive load associated with this per Dr Moshe Bar’s work (and many others) gives lie to that myth! So to chat, or not to chat that is the question?

Relatedly the Neuro-tech Institute’s Dr Fiona Kerr also produced a report examining the beneficial impact of looking up and remaining connected with others and nature for the Lookup Organisation. Futurist Mark Pesce has a good interview with her here  and her post Covid 19 interview is here

This is part of a wider question emerging of how we better use existing and new social platforms, our devices and perhaps better prepare and shape the coming metaverse(s). See Ozy’s Josefina Salomon’s take on in her 1 March 2022’s newsletter here

We have added some Look Up and Don’t Phub related designs – from the polite to the more forthright - to our Social Media collection along with some links to the research. 

Christian Buttner’s University of Basel study is here

Books (section on cognitive load)

Mindwandering: How It Can Improve Your Mood and Boost Your Creativity

Dr Moshe Bar