Phubbing, Being Phubbed, and Interpersonal Communication Quality Across Generations X, Y, and Z: Evidence of a Generational Asymmetry

Phubbing, the act of snubbing a conversational partner in favor of a mobile phone, has become a routine feature of face-to-face interaction. This study tested seven directional hypotheses regarding general phubbing, being phubbed, and interpersonal communication quality across Generations X, Y, and Z, drawing on cohort theory and the digital-native framework. Data were collected via face-to-face questionnaires from 916 students and academic and administrative staff at a large Turkish public university using convenience sampling, and were analyzed with ANOVA, regression, and confirmatory factor analysis. General phubbing and being phubbed were measured with the Turkish-adapted Generic Scale of Phubbing and Generic Scale of Being Phubbed; communication quality was measured with the Interpersonal Communication Scale. General phubbing increased stepwise from Generation X to Z and was significantly and negatively associated with communication quality, as hypothesized. Being phubbed did not differ by generation, consistent with a normalization account, and showed a small, unhypothesized positive association with communication quality. Neither relationship was moderated by generational membership. Generation Z reported the lowest communication quality of the three cohorts, a result robust to sensitivity checks. Measurement limitations and implications for generational research on digital communication are discussed.