Smartphones might make people feel more connected, but they likely donsa国际传媒檛 belong at the dinner table, according to new research from the University of British Columbia.

In a study released this week, researchers looking at the effect of smartphones on face-to-face social interactions found that people who used their devices while out for dinner with friends and family enjoyed themselves less than those who did not.

The studysa国际传媒檚 lead author and psychology PhD student Ryan Dwyer said the results confirm what many already suspected.

sa国际传媒淲hen we use our phones while we are spending time with people we care aboutsa国际传媒� apart from offending themsa国际传媒� we enjoy the experience less than we would if we put our devices away,sa国际传媒� he said in a news release.

The team watched 300 people go to dinner with friends and family, with some being directed to keep their phones on the table and others to put them away.

The researchers did not tell those being observed they were being monitored for their smartphone use.

The study found that people whose phones were present felt more distracted and didnsa国际传媒檛 enjoy spending time with their fellow diners. They also said they felt more boredom during meals.

sa国际传媒淲e had predicted that people would be less bored when they had access to their smartphones, because they could entertain themselves if there was a lull in the conversation,sa国际传媒� Dwyer said.

The findings were not only limited to restaurant settings.

In a second study involving more than 100 people, participants were sent a survey to their smartphones five times a day for a week that asked how they had been feeling and what they had been doing for the past 15 minutes.

The researchers saw the same pattern, with people reporting they enjoyed their in-person social interactions less if they had been using their phones.

Elizabeth Dunn, the studysa国际传媒檚 senior author and professor at UBCsa国际传媒檚 department of psychology, said the findings add a layer to the ongoing debate over the effects of smartphones on public health.

sa国际传媒淎n important finding of happiness research is that face-to-face interactions are incredibly important for our day-to-day wellbeing,sa国际传媒� said Dunn.

sa国际传媒淭his study tells us that, if you really need your phone, itsa国际传媒檚 not going to kill you to use it. But there is a real and detectable benefit from putting your phone away when yousa国际传媒檙e spending time with friends and family.sa国际传媒�

ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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