Just put it down…
In recent years, the scourge of the conversation killer, the smartphone, has infested itself into Irish pub culture and the standard of conversation has suffered as a direct result.
Publicans are wondering how to deal with the rise of smartphones, and how far the digital world should intrude into pubs around the country.
To see just how much it’s spoiling the experience, Guinness carried out a study which delved into the impact of phone use on a night out with friends as part of their ‘Switch to Pub Mode’ initiative.
The research found that despite the reliance on our phones and the extent to which they influence your lives, when people put away their phones, they have a far better time.
It found that 94% enjoyed a night out as much or more without their phone in stark contrast to just 6% of people enjoying a night more with their phone in use.
The study conducted by Behaviour & Attitudes, explored the quality of a night out with friends on two consecutive Thursday nights.
However, on the second Thursday, the groups of friends were asked to put their phones down but everything else about the experience was kept constant. The results showed a dramatic positive shift on the second Thursday when phones were not in use.
Richard Layte, Head of Sociology at Trinity College and scientific advisor for the study, said: “The findings from this study are scientific evidence that if we put our phones down when we meet with friends and family, we not only enjoy the experience more but also feel closer to them and have a greater sense of belonging.”
There you have it folks, just put your phone away FFS.
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