Phub = snub someone by being on your phone instead of talking or listening to them and being fully present.
What’s this got to do with oracy?
People are speaking less than they used to.
Parents sometimes ‘phub’ children at the school gates.
The long-term impact of screens is still unknown.
A secondary teacher recently told me how worried he is that his students don’t seem able to talk to each other any more because they spend so much time on their phones.
Conversation thrives on feedback such as nodding, eye contact and responsive questions. Phubbing removes these subtle cues, flattening the experience.
Children and young people learn how to communicate by watching and engaging in live conversations. If adults or peers are constantly phubbing them, they will miss out on this essential developmental experience.
Considering the well-established link between talking and thinking, there is a lot at stake here. Let’s help the next generation balance their tech use with plenty of face-to-face interaction.
(Some further thoughts on this from my colleague James Mannion: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/james-mannion_i-recently-spoke-with-a-teacher-who-asked-activity-7315276568338075648-NNts/)
