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Research Paper

Stuti Aggarwal

BSCI-6031 Fundamentals of Addictions

Addictions and Mental Health, Fanshawe Toronto@ILAC

Roksana Stech

March 22nd, 2024

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The Psychological Impact of Phubbing on working individuals residing in Ontario

1. Introduction

The phenomenon of phubbing, which is, in fact, ignoring someone while simultaneously

messaging on one’s smartphone, has resulted in serious disruption of the mental state of

Ontario’s workforces. Thus, the negative emotions involved are the result of loneliness, grief and

attachment, and a constant dependence on technology. This, therefore, brings out the essence of

having responsible cell phone use highly publicized and encouraged.

Here in this paper is a discussion on a fast developing behavior of Ontario’s workforce

called phubbing. Phubbing is the name of a phenomenon where an ordinary individual chooses

smartphones above in-person interactions which usually leads to negative mental health. The

thesis of this paper unequivocally demonstrates how phubbing is among the causes for stress,

anxiety, and psychological well being. Continuing our discussion regarding the addictiveness of

mobile phones and how social media influences self-confidence and appearance is the next part

for us. An act of giving a blind eye to someone and at the same time being obsessed with your

smartphone is what we call phubbing, a phenomenon that has engulfed the society in the modern

day, particularly in the office. The goal of this research is to generate awareness about how this

issue needs to be viewed and encouraged for the best output in terms of responsible phone usage

habits. Themes in favor of this position can be demonstrated through scrutinizing the mental

health implications of phubbing, studying its prevalence in Ontario workplaces and suggesting

measures to hinder its spread. Moreover, to be deliberate on the reasons societies and cultural

rules that play a role in promoting phubbing.

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2. Summaries Of Academic Sources

The Relationship Between Partner Phubbing and Life Satisfaction: The Mediating Role

of Relationship Satisfaction and Perceived Romantic Relationship Quality. (YAM, F. C. (2023).)

This article highlights connections between the "partner smartphone snubbing" and life

satisfaction. Among other notions, it conceives phubbing as being an insult to a mate by

ignoring. This creates dissatisfaction with relationship partners. The survey evidenced that the

phubbing connection results in the lower level of satisfaction in the relationships, and at the end

of the day the resulting relationship measures the life satisfaction. This is done through the

mediation of relationship quality (and love-union status.) That is, if you partner, phone usage

when you are with the person will destroy your relationship happiness and feelings of love and

here from you to satisfaction with life.

Peer Phubbing and Social Networking Site Addiction: The Mediating Role of Social

Anxiety and the Moderating Role of Family Financial Difficulty.(Chu, X., Ji, S., et.al. (2021))

This article looks into teenagers who practice peer phubbing and social networking sites

addiction during school years. It describes the negative behavior of people who humblebrag and

peer-snobs. The writers consider the cases in which it provokes social anxiety and how they

interfere in social media overuse. They, on the other hand, believe that social anxiety operates as

the intermediate factor between peer phubbing and social network addiction. Social media

financial problems not only complicates the effect of phubbing, but it is also a cause. The study

suggests that students who are phubbed by their peers are more likely to develop the social

anxiety symptom and are susceptible to social network site addiction.

Does the Internet Bring People Closer Together or Further Apart? The Impact of Internet

Usage on Interpersonal Communications This is an article that is on internet use and the impact
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that it has on interpersonal communication. It speaks about the ways the net can both develop

and terminate relationships. The study indicates that the Internet for socialization enhances

interactions with friends and relatives. Nonetheless, the excessive use of the internet has adverse

effects such as anxiety and neglect of real-life relationships. By and large, the internet serves as a

convenient medium for sharing information, yet it should be used moderately.

2.1 Common Themes

Based on the summaries provided, common themes between the articles include:

2.1.1 Phubbing and Relationship Satisfaction: The articles speak of the negative effects of

phubbing on relationship satisfaction be it in the context of romantic interactions or peer

relationships. Phubbing, a focused disregard when one potential partner or peer is being ignored

for smartphone usage, can be the key to unhappy relationships.

2.1.2 Mediating Factors: The studies in question focus on these intervening elements that

determine how difficult phubbing is on the negative outcomes. In the first article, the level of

intimate relationship quality and the perceived romantic relationship satisfaction intervened in

the connection between partner phubbing and overall well-being. This second article emphasizes

social anxiety as a path between peer phubbing and social networking addiction.

2.1.3 Consequences of Phubbing: The issue refers to the different negative effects of phubbing,

for example, lower relationship satisfaction and social phobia until addiction to social networks.

2.1.4 Moderating Factors: The authors of both articles highlight some nuanced factors affecting

the intensity of the relationship between phubbing and its consequences. Phubbing can be

aggravated among people from families experiencing financial difficulty, and this is underscored

in the articles by the word moderator that was mentioned in both articles.
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Altogether, the articles overall suggest the damaging effects of phubbing on interpersonal

relationships, mental health, and well-being, and then prescribe some factors that can make

things worse or better.

3. Critical Appraisal

The concept that technology, social media, and parents’ involvement have an effect on

mental health and academic achievement is very evident when closely examining the results

derived from the papers; however, this effect is mostly acknowledged by the studies. Such

researches inevitably remind us of the multidimensionalism of the interrelations of different

factors and their effects on people, mostly among the teenagers and the students. Nevertheless,

the contributions of these studies highlight the broader fields of psychological well-being and

social behaviors to which phubbing in the work environment of Ontario, Canada may be linked,

though there is a risk that the results may not be directly applicable within this context. First of

all, the assessment of reviews on social media and smartphone addiction against the sound

mental health of the younger age and teenagers will make clear the extent of adverse effects of

computing overuse. Both the reviews I weigh against the negative consequences of the social

networking site and mobile phone overuse, such as constant anxiety, stress, and sleep

interruption among others. The observations mentioned here highlight the issue of phubbing,

because using smartphone too much is usually accompanied by phubbing that can cause similar

outcomes. Digital connectivity is in abundance in advanced societies, where smartphones are

almost a basic need, and phubbing behaviors can lead to deterioration of anormal mental health

condition of working individuals in Ontario, leading to further concerns in the form of decreased

productivity and overall well being.

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To understand the effects of these findings regarding technological addiction on

addictions in society, the recognition of the similitude between technological addiction and other

forms of addiction is necessary. Like drug abuse, unhealthy use of smartphones and its phubbing

behavior can have the same kind of negative impacts on mental health and socialization. The

reviews on social media, smartphone use, and parental involvement reveal the addictive nature of

technology and also how it can be a source of interruption of normal behavioural patterns and in

turn, relationships. Nevertheless, the studies give reasonable results about this issue, which

relates to broader aspects of addictions and mental health. However, those findings may be

different in quality from the problems and complex situations that are specific to phubbing as an

individual phenomenon in the context of the workforce in Ontario, Canada. Workplace phubbing

may have vastly different meanings and mechanisms within the culture of work, culture, and

organization and, therefore, it is necessary to shed more light on these. Moreover, news reports

on the social and demographic features of the Ontario population may lead to a higher incidence

and negative effects of phubbing habits.

The implications that the research findings presented in the abstract to societal issues of

addiction are due to the fact that they admit that technological addiction, especially that related to

social networking and mobile phones, is a real thing. The reports show that protracted computer

use can lead to serious mental health problems such as concern, depression, and sleep disorders.

More importantly, they portray the interchangeability between technological addiction and other

kinds of addiction, such as the harmful addictive substances, and their effect on mental health

and the human relationships they build. The report on phubbing imprisonment in the work

environment in Ontario, Canada will help us greatly in our analysis. Phubbing is a term for

situations where people are preoccupied with their smartphones and as a result they tend to
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neglect social interactions among their peers and thus similar effects as experienced in

smartphone addiction and social media may be observed. The degree of phubbing behaviors

faced by employees that may aggravate existing mental health disorders would eventually

develop into reduced job performance, less job satisfaction and a general decline in well-being.

Moreover, alienation from others by phubbing just adds to the sensations of loneliness and

detachment very much alike those in the encounters when other vices are involved.

Although these studies offer helpful observations on the additional surroundings of

addiction in addition to mental health, it is crucial to consider that the findings might not be of

direct relevance to the specific difficulties experienced by the working people in Ontario,

Canada. Workplace phubbing conditions itself on inter-company specific norms, ethics that are

related to it, and organizational aspects which must be studied further. Apart from this, social

economic and demographic factors of the population of Ontario also may play the important role

in the spread and effect of phubbing and that is why targeted interventions and notions would be

more appropriate.

4. Implications For Professionals Working With People With Addiction

​This is a caveat to the professionals in helping the people who are suffering from

phubbing, especially the professionals dealing with addiction, such as social workers. To begin

with, the world of addiction professionals may overlap with this issue of phubbing because it

renders the similarities between the smartphone truck and the addictive use of substances.

Professionals must identify Phubbing as a kind of unhealthy behavioral dependence, and

understand its effects on mental health as well as the physical damage of substance use disorders.

It refers to building a phubbing consciousness and monitoring mechanism into the treatment of

addiction by integrating it into the plans and efforts.

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To stop phubbing from taking over the professional circle of the social workers and

others, it needs to be tackled from different perspectives. However, the initial approach contains

thorough assessment to spot the potential clients who might be struggling with phubbing related

problems. Such evaluation may include their smartphone usage frequency, the amount of their

social troubles because of the phubbing issue, and the damage they caused to their mental health.

Finally, social workers should add both phubbing awareness and education to their counseling

arrangement. Such activity can help individuals understand the problem of phubbing and learn to

use smartphones more wisely.

Besides that, instructors should provide psychoeducation alongside skills training to

equip their clients with the essential tools they need to control their phubbing behaviour in a

more effective manner. This can be achieved by training people to meditate so that smartphone

addiction can be reduced, helping build up relations through conversation and offering

self-control tricks so that the use of devices can be curbed in social situations.

Besides this, partnership among professionals and organizations is very crucial

considering that phubbing could be fought within the workplace population. This entails working

together with employers to ensure phone concern policies are given priority as well as holding

workshops on topics like digital detox and stress and push towards work-life balance initiatives.

Regarding recommendations, the who is to help the professionals should be able to stay

abreast with the latest research and best practices concerning phubbing and smartphone

addiction. They could incorporate phubbing awareness in their training programs as well as

motivation to continue education. Additionally, supporting the greater community, including the

promotion of digital literacy and the establishment of a culture around the responsible use of

technology, might also be a good way of going about the issue of phubbing addiction.
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Finally, getting the level of phubbing among the working group of people to a

manageable level requires a multifaceted and inclusive strategy for addiction experts to follow.

Professionals can facilitate the problem by drawing attention to it, conduct the education, provide

support, and advocate for systemic changes. They can do it in such a way that people can fight

the problem of phubbing addiction and enhance their well-being.

5. Conclusion

Finally, it is seen that phubbing is an issue full of negative consequences as it is

widespread of ignoring the real people by means of smartphones; and this issue is enough to

undermine the mental health of Ontario's working people. This article has dealt with the ills of

phubbing, in the form of unhappiness, low mood, loneliness, and addiction to technology.

Following the findings of research sources, my personal view is that the addictive nature of

smartphones and the influence of social media on self-esteem and appearance create negative

psychological aftermath of phubbing.

The conclusion of the literature review highlights this gap and explores the necessity for

incorporating more research and intervention plans for proper management between technologic

use and mental health. Although studies about using social networks, smartphones, and parental

involvement are very useful, they require specific connection and investigation inside the

pollution of phubbing at work among the residents of Ontario in particular.

It is however worth noting that professionals who come into contact with the victims of

addiction especially when they are by the vocation of social work have a potent role to play in

combating phubbing-related issues. Through phubbing awareness integration into addiction

treatment plans, conducting thorough assessments, and providing psychoeducation as well as in

skills training professionals totalise clients’ phubbing behavior effective management. In

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addition, collaboration with the employers and the advocacy of a more wide-ranging social

change are also very much necessary in promoting responsible cellular phone usage and helping

to create healthy work-life balance programs.

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6. References

Abi-Jaoude, E., Naylor, K. T., & Pignatiello, A. (2020). Smartphones, social media use and

youth mental health. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 192(6), E136–E141.

https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.190434

Chu, X., Ji, S., Wang, X., Yu, J., Chen, Y., & Lei, L. (2021). Peer phubbing and social

networking site addiction: the mediating role of social anxiety and the moderating role of

family financial difficulty. Frontiers in Psychology, 12.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.670065

Levai, N. P. M. (n.d.). PHUBBING AND FEAR OF MISSING OUT AS MEDIATORS BETWEEN

PROBLEMATIC SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND LIFE SATISFACTION AMONG YOUNG

ADULTS. Scholarworks@UAEU. https://scholarworks.uaeu.ac.ae/all_theses/994/

Li, C., Ning, G., Xia, Y., Guo, K., & Liu, Q. (2022). Does the internet bring people closer

together or further apart? The impact of internet usage on interpersonal communications.

Behavioral Sciences, 12(11), 425. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12110425

Medical, C. (2023, February 28). Phubbing. The new world Order! The Canadian Medical.

https://www.thecanadianmedical.ca/phubbing-the-new-world-order/

Yam, F. C. (2022). The relationship between partner phubbing and life satisfaction: the mediating

role of relationship satisfaction and perceived romantic relationship quality.

Psychological Reports, 126(1), 303–331. https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941221144611