Smartphone Use Undermines Enjoyment of Face-to-Face Social Interactions

LiveMore ScreenLess’ Summary

Two studies:

• Phones were taken randomly from a group of dinners. When present, they reported distraction and reduced enjoyment of time with family and friends
• Experience sampling – survey of people 5 times a day for one week; reporting showed  distracted and less enjoyment if using phones
• Despite phones ability to connect, they undermine benefits of in person interactions
• Putting phones away during meal times increased positive social interaction and enjoyment

Over 300 community members and students were selected to share a meal at a restaurant with friends or family. Participants were randomly assigned to keep their phones on the table or to put their phones away during the meal. When phones were present, participants felt more distracted, which reduced how much they enjoyed spending time with their friends/family. 

Consistent results were found using experience sampling in the second part of the study; during in-person interactions, participants felt more distracted and reported lower enjoyment if they used their phones than if they did not. This research suggests that despite their ability to connect us to others across the globe, phones may undermine the benefits we derive from interacting with those across the table.

Dwyer, Ryan, et al. Smartphone use undermines enjoyment of face-to-face social interactions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 78, 2018.