A study by psychologists from Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University explored how "phubbing" affects marriage satisfaction. The research involved 712 married participants in Turkey.
The advent of smartphones has created new social behaviors, including phubbing. Phubbing occurs when someone ignores those around them in favor of their phone.
While smartphones can help people feel connected, they can also foster isolation. Constant phone use can disrupt real-life interactions, especially in close relationships.
Researchers sent surveys to married individuals to measure the link between phone use and marital closeness. Participants were roughly equally split by gender, with an average age of 37.
The study found a clear pattern: higher rates of phubbing correlated with lower marital satisfaction. Being ignored by a spouse, even briefly, negatively impacts relationship quality.
The findings are logical, people naturally react poorly to being ignored. Though the study did not explore whether unhappy partners phub more, the negative cycle is evident.
The researchers suggest a simple fix: couples should make a conscious effort to turn off their phones more often. Reducing phubbing can help strengthen marital bonds.