4 aprile 2025
Dr. Daniele Nappo, Legal Representative as well as Founder of the S. Freud Private School, draws attention to “phubbing,” or the behavior of snubbing others to focus on one's smartphone, an increasingly common phenomenon, especially among adolescents, that can lead to substance addiction. While it has benefits, excessive cell phone use can impair interpersonal relationships and, in severe cases, require psychotherapeutic intervention.
It has happened to everyone, unfortunately also at school a or in other social situations, to be confronted with a person totally absorbed by their cell phone. For years now, the smartphone has been an indispensable tool in the lives of many people and especially adolescents: the cell phone exerts an ascendancy and importance that is anything but negligible for interpersonal relationships. In the face of the undeniable advantages of its use in various areas, the cell phone exposes various risks. Inordinate use of the smartphone always evidences little respect, certainly toward those in front of you. Phubbing is the crasis, that is, the union, of two English terms: snubbing, which comes from “snub” meaning “snub,” and phone meaning “telephone.” This word therefore refers to a situation in which a person prioritizes interaction with their smartphone over interaction with other people. For many people, the Web plays an increasingly central role even outside the professional sphere. For example, it happens to many people that they have more information about the people they follow on social media than those with whom they have a real connection.This happens because, if you do not put stakes in your cell phone use, it is difficult to do without it. The fear is missing out on something and feeling excluded from fulfilling experiences. Other times, however, phubbing is enacted as an escape route, especially by adolescents, as a means of separating themselves from the reality with which they sometimes relate poorly. In more serious cases underlying this behavior may also be a cell phone addiction, the consequences of which are similar to that of narcotics i.e., immediate satisfaction and withdrawal anxiety. The apparent social inclusion provided by social networks can be managed and limited. Eliminating the most addictive apps from the smartphone can lead to a decrease in usage time, without affecting our social relationships. In the most severe cases, one must turn to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, the first step being to lead to awareness of what one stands to lose by one's addictive behavior.
