When do smartphones displace face-to-face interactions and what to do about it?

• Published in: Computers in human behavior 2021-01, Vol.114, p.106550, Article 106550
• Main Authors: Verduyn, Philippe, Schulte-Strathaus, Julia C.C., Kross, Ethan, Hülsheger, Ute R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Communication; Displacement; Face-to-face interaction; Hypotheses; Mindfulness; Smartphone communication; Smartphones; Social displacement
• ISSN: 0747-5632; 1873-7692
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2020.106550

There is a public concern that smartphone communication undermines well-being by displacing face-to-face interactions. However, research on this “social displacement hypothesis” has provided mixed results. We examined when this hypothesis holds true (within-persons vs. between-persons) and tested an intervention to decrease smartphone communication. Participants (N = 109) reported daily on smartphone communication, face-to-face communication, and emotional well-being for fifteen days. At day six, participants were assigned to a mindfulness-treatment intervention group or a no-treatment control group. The social displacement hypothesis was confirmed at the within-person but not between-person level. Specifically, when someone communicates a lot using her smartphone during a particular day, that person engages in less face-to-face interactions during that same day. However, people who tend to spend a lot of time communicating on their smartphone do not engage in less face-to-face conversations than people who largely refrain from smartphone communication. The mindfulness-intervention reduced daily smartphone communication, which decreased negative emotions. •The social displacement hypothesis holds within-persons but not between-persons.•Within: daily smartphone and face-to-face communication are negatively related.•Between: Avid smartphone communicators do not communicate less face-to-face.•Mindfulness reduces smartphone communication, which increases emotional well-being.