Why this happens, scientists cannot reliably explain
An unexpected phenomenon was discovered by researchers from the University of Pisa in Italy. They drew attention to the fact that others are beginning to imitate a person who is buried in the screen of their smartphone, and it takes only half a minute.
The experiment involved about one hundred men and about ninety women. One person played the role of a kind of provocateur (trigger). He turned on the phone or tapped his finger on the screen, staring at it. After a short period of time, half of those around them also took up their phones, regardless of whether this was happening in a friendly atmosphere or in an unfamiliar society. At the same time, when the trigger was not looking at the screen, almost no one spoke to their phones.
According to the observation of scientists, many of those who took up their gadgets following someone else’s example had no specific goal. People did this unconsciously, trying to coordinate their actions with how others behave. In science, this is called the “chameleon effect,” according to the Journal of Ethology.