Phone Interference, Well-Being, and Gender: A Mega Analysis on the Impact of Phone Use when Moderating by Gender

Abstract

The majority of American’s use their phone during social situations. Still, by doing so, they may also be inadvertently interfering with their ability to receive the full benefit of interpersonal connection. This interference happens because phones draw our attention away from the physical environment into the digital world beyond their screen. This effect leads to the question of how the interference caused by the use and presence of phones may influence emotional well-being and social connectedness across a variety of social situations. Importantly, less is known about the moderating effects phones may have on well-being. The present study, compiling data across nine different studies (six different paradigms; N = 1951), evaluated the effects of phones on social situations. A series of hierarchical regressions were performed to parse apart the effects of the predictors on well-being. Overall, the results indicate that phones negatively impact well-being and social connectedness. These effects were moderated by gender in some scenarios while also finding that phone dependence did not predict worse well-being outcomes. From a policy perspective, these findings indicate that organizations and families should attempt to change the rules and culture around use phones during meetings, meals, and other social exchanges.