To phub or not to phub? It’s a modern etiquette dilemma | Michael Hogan

Phone snubbing, or interacting with your mobile while ignoring partners and friends, is bad for relationships', scientists have just discovered. But when is it OK?

I witnessed a spectacular row in a beer garden this summer. My fellow voyeurs and I guessed the couple were on a date - not their first but perhaps their second or third - and he'd checked his notifications too often for her liking. Why don't you just date your phone instead?" she snapped, standing up to leave. Hope you're happy together."

I've edited out a few F-bombs but that was the gist. Sadly, she drained her drink rather than sloshing it in his face. Reader, I nearly stood up and applauded. Phubbing" - a portmanteau of phone snubbing", or deciding to interact with your mobile rather than a person - is a 21st-century epidemic.

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