Perhaps there is something you usually do with your loved ones that puts you in this category. Test yourself to see if you are affected.
We have all already experienced it during an evening, a meal or a meeting with family or friends. While part of the assembly is discussing, a few people have their heads lowered, their gaze fixed on their knees and their heads on something else entirely. If we ask them their opinion on the current debates, they will repeat the question or, worse, will pretend to answer without even having understood what it was about. These people are “telenobs”. And obviously, it was their smartphone that took them away from the conversation.
In our society, the telephone has taken a predominant place. Every day, we consult it countless times. If the latter can prove very useful, this annoying habit can prove quite unpleasant for those around you. But concretely, what is “telesnobbism”? The term refers to the fact, for a person, of checking their phone even when they are surrounded by family or friends with whom they are sharing a good time. This can go as far as ignoring someone’s company and instead lingering on their smartphone. Although this behavior may appear harmless today, there is a real impact on social relations.
According to the study by the University of Georgia research team published in Behavior & Information Technology, cited by Why Doctor, this behavior would be a symbol of a certain social anxiety. These people therefore favor virtual relationships over real social interactions. The scientists who wrote this study also explain this phenomenon by smartphone addiction. They specify that the habit of receiving notifications very often leads to always wanting to look at them: “People are really sensitive to notifications. With every vibration or sound, they look, consciously or not, at their phone”, declared to the magazine the lead author of the study, Juhyung Sun. Furthermore, the greater the grouping of people, the more telesnobbery would be expressed because the person who suffers from it thinks that others do not notice it.
To find out if you’re a telesnob, think about your last night out with friends or your most recent family meal you attended and ask yourself the following questions: Did you look at your phone a lot? Did you rarely participate in conversations? Have you ignored someone who was talking to you to check your smartphone? Have you forgotten the main topics of conversation during this shared moment?
If you answer yes to all of these questions, you may be a victim of telesnobbery. Now that you are aware of this, you can change your behavior the next time you spend time with your loved ones. To get the most out of it, you can, for example, leave your cell phone in a corner or in your bag or pocket. Otherwise, you can follow the principle of the film The game of Fred Cavayé placing all your cell phones on the table. And this time, don’t read all the messages out loud like in the movie, but enjoy the moment and leave the phones alone.