Remember manners?

Nah, me neither. Conversing with people or being engaged in the world around you is boring when you've got Pokemon to catch, or chat to snap, amirite?

So, what do you say when your friend is always on her phone?

Thankfully, the world has provided a word for this behavior: "Phubbing".

Definition: the act of snubbing someone in a social setting by looking at your phone instead of paying attention. 

So how can you combat phubbing?

So glad you asked. It's a scourge. The average restaurant will see 36 cases of phubbing in one sitting. 87% teens would rather text you than have a face-to-face conversation. Your food tastes worse. Your life seems pointless. You start to wonder: Should I call my parents? Would they listen to me?

Instead, try these simple tips:

1. Arrange your catch ups in a place where there is no wifi or phone signal. Drive six hours away for a coffee and ensure no one packs a phone charger. Or carry a mobile-phone signal scrambling box in your handbag. Discreet.
2. Be more interesting. Say "I got a new tat!", "I won powerball!" or "I've really actually hated you since 8th grade." All guaranteed to get attention for at least three seconds.
3. Get some other friends. Ones that don't have phones yet. Possibly pre-schoolers.

SEE? EASY.

Good luck out there comrades. Whether you're a phubber, or your friends keep phubbing up your life, the phubble is real. At least now there is a name for all those phubwits. 

It's a word we learned on the Mamamia Out Loud podcast. It's the weekly show on what everyone is talking about. It's actually the best way to phub, because it fills your life with news, juicy tidbits and smart lady talk, and you can listen in while your hands are free to work, exercise, ignore children, or get on with the rest of your life. Get it via the Mamamia app, subscribe via itunes, or listen here: