Tempted to text: College students’ mobile phone use during a face-to-face interaction with a close friend

Genavee Brown, Adriana M. Manago, Joseph E. Trimble

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

36 Citations (Scopus)
20 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

We examined whether emerging adults would engage in mobile phone use (MPU) when given the opportunity to socialize face-to-face with a close friend in a laboratory setting. Sixty-three U.S. college student friendship dyads rated their friendship quality in an online survey before coming into the lab together. When they arrived for their appointment, they were asked to wait together in a room for 5 minutes. A hidden camera recorded each dyad. Friends then separately rated the quality of the interaction. We coded time spent using mobile phone in seconds. A hierarchical regression conducted at the level of the dyad controlling for friendship quality and gender showed that more mobile phone use was associated with lower quality interactions. We discuss findings in terms of the potential for MPU to interfere with the development of friendship intimacy.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)440-443
Number of pages10
JournalEmerging Adulthood
Volume4
Issue number6
Early online date9 Feb 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2016
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • cell phones
  • friendship quality
  • face-to-face interaction
  • distraction
  • relational needs

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