‘Phubbing’ – or phone snubbing – is a bad habit that’s typically associated with teens and social media addicts. But with research suggesting that parents are phubbing their kids at the cost of their happiness, a series of ads starring Will Ferrell is using black comedy to draw attention to the issue.

Digital distractions are harming Gen Z’s ability to learn, with 60% of teens having neglected school work due to the allure of their smartphones. By offering a range of steadily increasing rewards, the Hold app is giving students a reason to put down their devices and concentrate in the classroom.

Smartphones give us access to a wealth of information with just a few taps – but at what cost to our attention spans? Canvas8 spoke to Dr. Adrian F. Ward, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, to learn how the presence of a mobile device can reduce a person’s cognitive capacity.

Phubbing – or phone snubbing – is often imagined as a practice carried out by rude teenagers who would rather communicate via social media. But recent Gen Z complaints over their parents’ device usage highlights how they're re-evaluating technology’s impact on their relationships.