The phone's impact on relationships

- In addition to the loss of productivity … and the increase in distraction, careless smartphone use … can negatively affect relationships. … When I speak to audiences around the world, … I do an activity where attendees speak to each other, … but the listener is playing on their phone, … giving partial attention. … I ask those who were being partially ignored … what's one word to describe how that made you feel. … Consistently, I hear words like unimportant, … unvalued, and insignificant. … Phubbing is a coin term in our day … that is the act of snubbing another person … in favor of your phone. … The fact that this word even exists … highlights the problem we face every day. … Multiple studies have shown that giving others … partial attention damages family, friend, … and workplace relationships. … Sometimes you don't even need to look at your phone … to experience these negative effects. … In a study published … in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, … the researchers found that just having the presence …