I Have to Become a “Phubber”: a Case Study of a Female College Counselor’s Phubbing at Home

Abstract

Researches on partner phubbing and parental phubbing have grown markedly in recent years. However, research on the phubbing of female college counselors suffering from serious work-family conflicts is very rare. The present study aimed to explore the causes and negative influences of female college counselors’ phubbing at home and their coping strategies. A case study design was used to study a female college counselor in Shandong (aged 30). Data were collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. This study found that S’s phubbing at home was different from parental phubbing and partner phubbing. This study called it “passive phubbing”. S’s phubbing at home had some negative influences on herself (S’s phubbing at home led to her negative emotions, the decline in her life satisfaction, and her job burnout) and her family (ignoring her family members led to conflicts between her and her family members; the negative influence on the parent–child relationship; and the indirect negative influence on the relationship between husband and wife by influencing the parent–child relationship). The causes of S’s phubbing at home included limited time and energy, inevitable rigid requirements at work, policy document requirements, group cooperation work that cannot be delayed, and a personal reason—being a little too careful at work. S’s coping strategies included improving work efficiency, clarifying the boundary between work and family, and communicating sincerely with her husband. In addition, S’s segmentation preference conflicted with school requirements and norms. The limitations of the present study and implications for future research are discussed.