Last but not least: A word goes around the world
The word "phubbing" was invented in 2012 as part of a campaign in Australia and went viral around the world. No wonder, because the term describes a widespread problem for which there was previously no name.
We are all familiar with this phenomenon and are both perpetrators and victims: the antisocial use of smartphones. The other person is ignored, all attention is focused on the smart phone. Society is becoming more and more networked, while personal face-to-face interaction is increasingly falling by the wayside. If someone prefers to spend time on their cell phone instead of with the other person, this is undoubtedly unpleasant. However, the problem is rarely discussed. McCann Melbourne thought he knew the reason: There is no word for it. Or rather: There was no word for it.
In May 2012, the agency rounded up a team of language experts of all kinds. The task: invent a new word for the misconduct in question. The result was "phubbing". The viral spread around the world worked as desired, the initiative "Stop Phubbing" was picked up and discussed by the media worldwide - in line with the wishes of the client, Macquarie Dictionary. McCann was able to demonstrate how quickly language is changing...and how necessary it is to purchase the sixth edition of the dictionary. (hae)
