Lockdowns fuel surge in smartphone imitation, study finds

A study conducted in Italy examined the phenomenon of smartphone mimicry, where people are more likely to pick up their phones if someone nearby does the same. The research found that people were more prone to mimic smartphone use right after the 2020 lockdown, suggesting that social isolation heightened our sensitivity to digital social cues. The study also highlighted the role of familiarity in this mimicry behavior. However, the findings are limited to Italy and the observational nature of the study may be subject to bias.