Preferring to phub than to talk

A majority of Thais surveyed by Weber Shandwick say they ‘phub’ out of boredom or because of alerts on their mobile device. – The Nation

Thais choose phones over friends.

MORE Thais are avoiding direct contact with people around them when their mobile phones are within reach. A survey showed 71% of respondents “phubbing” and most of them do that out of boredom or because of pop-up alerts on their handheld device.

Phubbing is the act of snubbing someone in a social setting by looking at your phone instead of paying attention.

In the survey by Weber Shandwick, 96% of an unknown number of respondents aged from 12 to 45 said that they have been phubbed.

Eighty per cent of phubbing victims feel frustrated or angry.

Eighty per cent chose “during a one-on-one conversation” as the most frustrating situation to be phubbed.

Ninety per cent phub because of boredom or something important comes up on their phone.

“While travelling together (car, BTS/MRT, etc)” was chosen as the most acceptable place to phub, with “at a bar” as the second most acceptable. Nine per cent chose “none are acceptable.” About 84% are against phubbing.

“I phub because I can’t say what I want to the person in front of me. I can let out my anger about them to my online friends,” said one 12-year-old female.

“I do it because the people around me wouldn’t mind anyway,” said a 35-year-old man.

“When I’m insecure around people, I phub. I can chat with my friends who make me feel more confident,” said a 20-year-old guy.

“I phub all the time, but I know it lessens real interaction because I don’t communicate directly with the people around me. I’m trying not to do it as much,” said a girl aged 15. “We shouldn’t phub when other people are trying to have a conversation with us, but I still phub anyway even though I know I shouldn’t.” – The Nation/Asia News Network