Research shows people are increasingly 'phubbing' - and experiencing being 'phubbed' - in social situations.
The term refers to snubbing your partner to look at your phone - 'phone' plus 'snubbing' equals 'phubbing'. And research has suggested it's a relationship killer.
The researchers further found it was this experience of phubbing - and of being phubbed themselves - that made people more likely to believe phubbing was 'normal'.
Professor Karen Douglas, of Kent University, said: "Smartphones allow people to connect with others from almost anywhere at any time.
"However there's growing concern smartphones may actually sometimes detract from, rather than complement, social interactions.
"The results revealed internet addiction, fear of missing out and self-control predicted smartphone addiction - which in turn predicted the extent to which people phub.
"This path also predicted the extent to which people feel phubbing is normative - both via the extent to which people are phubbed themselves and independently."
Prof Douglas said: "It was found smartphone addiction significantly predicted phubbing behaviour.
"Further, when the effect on smartphone addiction from each variable was calculated, it was revealed internet addiction and fear of missing out were positive predictors of smartphone addiction - whereas self-control negatively predicted smartphone addiction."
Prof Douglas said: "A significant portion of the world's population use smartphones to conduct their everyday lives.
"Many people simply cannot live without them. It's therefore increasingly important for social scientists to consider the impact they have on the quality of social life."
Last year a US study found 46 per cent of people have been 'phubbed' by their partner - and more than a third felt depressed by it.
The more often a couple's time spent together was interrupted by one attending to their mobile phone the less satisfied the other was in the relationship.