Be Aware! If You Start Using Facebook Problematically You Will Feel Lonely: Phubbing, Loneliness, Self

Smartphones are an integral part of people’s life. The aim of the study was to expand the knowledge on the individual determinants of “phubbing.” Two dimensions of phubbing—communication disturbance and phone obsession—were taken into consideration. We tested the model of relations between phubbing, self-esteem, loneliness, and satisfaction with life. We administered the Phubbing Scale, the Facebook Intrusion Scale, the Loneliness Scale, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, and the Self-Esteem Scale. The participants in the online study were 597 Polish users of mobile phones, with a mean age of M = 21.22 (SD = 6.52, range: 16–78). The results showed Facebook intrusion to be a cause of phubbing. Women scored higher than men on both dimensions of phubbing. A low level of self-esteem and satisfaction with life predicted Facebook intrusion. Additionally, a low level of loneliness was a predictor of Facebook intrusion, which in turn was a predictor of loneliness. The results demonstrate the multidimensional nature of phubbing and suggest new directions for future studies