Is Cell Phone Use Socially Contagious?

Abstract

Cell phone use is increasingly prominent in public settings and may shape face-to-face social interactions. We used an ethological approach to examine cell phone use in public dyadic interactions, recording detailed behavior sequences. Naturalistic observations in university dining halls and nearby commercial dining facilities indicated that one individual’s cell phone use is a frequent precursor to the companion’s cell phone use. Cell phones create an alternative outlet for one’s attention and may both promote and interfere with live social interaction. These results have important implications for the role of information technology in modern social interactions.