Table 5.

Domain 3. Consequences: outcomes of phubbing

Theme	Subtheme	Representative quotation
Feelings		If I’m on my phone and somebody calls attention to it, I’m not angry, but I feel called out, and then I feel embarrassed or guilty, and it comes out as defensiveness, even when it’s my husband. (01U)
		I think it makes the other person feel worthless. It inevitably made the other person feel that. (04T)
Attention span and multitasking		TikTok can be such a time suck. It’s just constant scrolling for new information, and it really has affected people’s attention span and the need for a quick dopamine hit. (05U)
		TV and my phone. That’s what I’m doing. Can’t watch a show anymore without having another screen to scroll through. (02U)
		I’ve got literally 10 tabs open right now. I usually have a split screen with whatever it is I’m doing, on video and also whatever else I want to work on, and then I also have my phone. (06U)
Socialization		Everyone is scrolling on Instagram and having this half presence with everyone else around them. (03U)
		We lie on separate couches at home, despite being so close together, we’re just sharing Instagram Reels with each other. (11T)
Clinical consequences	Effect of phubbing on clinical care	I have a ton of adolescent patients…but some walk into my office and their parent hands them the phone, and then I can only talk to the parent…I’ve had parents try to take work calls during appointments as their kid is telling them about things like trauma. (01U)
	Wish for resources and guidelines	I think I want to look into resources that can help parents with that; structured ways, basically behavioral interventions, that we do to promote phone hygiene. (01U)
	Role modeling	I’m telling the kid, hey, could you put your phone away? But I’m also trying for the parent to do the same. And if the parent doesn’t listen, the patient’s not going to listen. (12U)
		I’m saying, ‘you should not be on your phone in bed,’ but know that I do it all the time. (03U)