Why Putting Down Your Phone Builds Trust

 The study "Smartphones undermine trust and cooperation" by N. P. Li and colleagues, published in the journal Social Networks, investigates how smartphone use during social interactions affects trust and cooperation. Through a series of experiments, the researchers found that individuals who used smartphones during face-to-face interactions were perceived as less trustworthy and were less likely to engage in cooperative behavior compared to those who did not use their phones. The findings suggest that smartphone use can negatively impact the quality of social interactions by reducing trust and willingness to cooperate. The authors recommend minimizing smartphone use during social engagements to foster better interpersonal relationships.

News Item: We’re Trusted More When We Put Down Our Phones

Academic journal article: Smartphone use decreases trustworthiness of strangers