Psychologists Explain: 4 Psychological Reasons People Place Their Phone Screen Face Down
Are you one of those who reflexively turn their phone upside down during a coffee break with close friends or a romantic dinner? If this behavior is interpreted by those around you as 'hiding something', the real reason, according to scientists, could be very different from what is assumed.
So, what are the psychological reasons behind this common reflex that many of us display without even realizing it? Why does your partner put their phone on the table upside down? Are they cheating on you? Or are they hiding something deeper?
Here are the details
1. The "Odysseus Tactic" of the Modern World
In ancient Greek mythology, Odysseus, who wanted to protect himself from the Sirens that led sailors to death with their enchanting voices, had himself tightly tied to the ship's mast.
Behavioral psychologists associate this reflex with a self-control approach known in the literature as the 'Odysseus strategy'. Knowing that we cannot resist the addictive algorithms of applications and the lights of instant notifications, we develop a kind of personal restriction mechanism by hiding the screen to protect ourselves from this 'enchanting call' of the digital world. So, in fact, our intention is completely a well-intentioned protection effort.
2. Not a Hidden Message, They are Concealing their "Focuses"
Many of us start to generate suspicious scenarios when we see a phone turned upside down on the table. However, according to a study by the University of Texas, just having the phone visibly on the table can negatively affect attention and cognitive performance.
In other words, when the screen is facing up, the brain is constantly spending hidden energy in the background, saying 'don't touch it, don't check it.'
People who turn their phones upside down are not hiding something from you; they are hiding the screen to protect their current mental capacity and focus from this energy-consuming stimulus.
3. They Are Protecting "The Quality of The Relationship", Not Cheating
While sitting in a cafe, if your partner or date turns their phone upside down, it is generally interpreted as a sign of infidelity. However, the 'cafe experiments' conducted at the Elizabeth Dunn Laboratory contradict this common perception.
Indeed, even having a phone face up on the table can cause people to trust each other less and decrease the enjoyment they get from the meeting. This is called 'Phubbing' (social neglect by phone) in social psychology.
People who turn their phones upside down are actually neutralizing the virtual world to avoid shaking the bond of trust and empathy with the person in front of them; in other words, they are preserving the time they spend with you.
4. They Silence the "Monster of Curiosity", Not the Phone
The world of phones is a vast sea of 'What am I missing right now?' This situation is associated with FOMO (fear of missing out) and a tendency to focus on possible scenarios. Just like silver medalists in the Olympics constantly comparing today with a hypothetical peak, saying 'I wish I had won gold,' and being unhappy; a phone lying flat on the table constantly whispers to the mind the possibilities that 'could be more exciting' on the screen.
The person who puts the phone upside down is trying to silence that monster who compares the real moment in hand with imaginary possibilities, even hiding what's happening inside from themselves.
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