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Worried about interrupting someone’s scrolling? Here’s what experts think

Cnbc · 🇺🇸 public United States · · 689 words · By Gili Malinsky
Professional Networking Social Skills Digital Wellness
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What to know about Professional Networking

These days, when I'm out in public, I like to play a little game.

Claims checked 8
Techniques found 2
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

These days, when I'm out in public, I like to play a little game.

Why it matters

Whether I'm on the subway, in line for the bathroom at the theater or sitting in a park, I try to count the number of people who are heads down, scrolling through apps on their phones.

Common ground

It will shock no one that it's usually quite a few.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Glittering Generalities: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/05/worried-about-interrupting-someones-scrolling-he…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Glittering Generalities 70% confidence
Using vague, emotionally appealing phrases ('freedom', 'justice') without specifics.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing glittering generalities helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 8 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 3
check_circle Corroborated 3
verified Verified By Reference 2
verified
Claim 1: “Forty percent of Americans say they check their phone more often than they'd like to, according to a 2025 YouGov survey of 1,129 U.S. adults.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While web results mention YouGov surveys regarding phone usage and sleep, none of the provided evidence confirms the specific statistic (40%) or the specific sample size (1,129 U.S. adults) for a 2025 survey. One result mentions 'more than 40 percent' but refers to low-income adults visiting restaurants, not phone usage.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — YouGov plc is an international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm headquartered in the UK with operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia–Pacific.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouGov
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — From October 1 to November 12, 2025, the federal government of the United States was shut down as Congress failed to pass appropriations legislation for the 2026 fiscal year. The Republican-controlled…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_United_States_federal_gov…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Elections are scheduled to be held, in large part, on November 3, 2026, in the United States. In these midterm elections, scheduled to occur during Republican president Donald Trump's nonconsecutive s…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_elections
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 2: “Research notes a correlation between increased screen time and higher levels of depression and anxiety.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists entirely of dictionary definitions for the words 'there', 'their', and 'they're', and contains no research or data regarding screen time, depression, or anxiety.
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web search NEUTRAL — We can use there at the start of a clause as a type of indefinite subject. This means that we can put the actual subject at the end of the clause and so give it emphasis or focus (underlined below): …
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/there
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web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · Note: Do not confuse there, which has meanings that mostly relate to a literal or abstract location, with the words their and they're. Their has to do with what belongs to or is associate…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/there
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web search NEUTRAL — Aug 17, 2022 · In this article, we’ll explain the meanings of their, there, and they’re, how to use each word correctly, and provide example sentences for each term. We’ll also give some tips on how t…
https://www.dictionary.com/articles/their-vs-there-vs-theyre
info
Claim 3: “Leanna Fortunato, the American Psychological Association's director of digital health and innovation.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of documents related to the City of Aurora, Colorado, and contains no mention of Leanna Fortunato or the American Psychological Association.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Aurora Water (Colorado) Mission Statement Deliver safe, reliable, high quality and sustainable water, sewer and stormwater service.
https://www.auroragov.org/residents/water
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web search NEUTRAL — The intent of this SCADA Design and Engineering Guidelines (DEG) document is to ensure the City of Aurora's (COA’s) standardized conventions are used for instrumentation, equipment, wiring, panels, co…
https://imlive.s3.amazonaws.com/City+of+Aurora/ID30433523896…
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web search NEUTRAL — Feb 1, 2024 · The party (“Requestor”) downloading the data or information thereon, (“Data”), from the City of Aurora, Colorado, (“City”), hereby acknowledges and accepts the following terms and condit…
https://auroraco.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=f103466cb…
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Claim 4: “Too much screen time can also impact sleep.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources (a health article, a Medium post, and Euronews) explicitly state that screen time, particularly blue light, impacts sleep quality and circadian rhythms.
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web search NEUTRAL — Screen time can even impact sleep. Screens emit blue light, which has been shown to disrupt your circadian rhythm—your natural wake and sleep cycle.The hazards of excessive screen time: Impacts on phy…
https://www.teladochealth.com/library/article/the-surprising…
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web search NEUTRAL — 4. Sleep Quality: Excessive screen time can lead to poorer sleep quality.To reduce the negative impact of screen time on sleep, consider the following strategies
https://hamzaalikhattak.medium.com/the-impact-of-screen-time…
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web search NEUTRAL — Using screens at night time greatly impacts your sleep.Insufficient sleep has long been linked to negative health outcomes. A recent study found that disrupted sleep in your 30s and 40s may even be li…
https://www.euronews.com/health/2024/05/09/phone-screens-can…
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Claim 5: “In CNBC's new online course, How To Talk To People At Work, expert instructors share practical strategies...”
CORROBORATED
Five independent cross-references from CNBC archives confirm the existence of the online course titled 'How To Talk To People At Work'.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of current and former on-air staff of the American business news channel CNBC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_CNBC_personalities
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Donald Jay Deutsch (born November 22, 1957) is an American branding and marketing professional, television personality, and former chairman of advertising firm Deutsch Inc. He joined his father's adve…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donny_Deutsch
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — America's Talking was an American cable television channel focused mainly on talk-based programming, created by NBC, and spun off from economic channel CNBC. It was launched on July 4, 1994, and was c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America's_Talking
+ 5 more evidence sources
info
Claim 6: “research suggests that, actually, people are more open to it [engaging with strangers] than we might initially think.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided discusses the benefits of talking to strangers and preferences on dating apps, but does not cite specific research confirming that people are 'more open to it than we might initially think'.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Rather than default to focusing attention on your phone, try turning off its volume or setting it to airplane mode. See if you notice any changes in how you engage with other people in your immediate …
https://theconversation.com/making-eye-contact-and-small-tal…
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web search NEUTRAL — Researchers have found that people who are on dating apps tend to prefer potential partners who have similar levels of agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion.
https://www.psypost.org/people-on-dating-apps-prefer-partner…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Openness and Flexibility. Engaging with diverse people signals open-mindedness and a willingness to embrace new experiences. Resistance or discomfort might point to a preference for routine or familia…
https://inspirepearls.com/blogs/self/what-does-it-mean-when-…
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Claim 7: “"Socialization, healthy socialization, is a skill," says Lance Garrison, dean for the College of Professional Psychology at the Chicago School.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources confirm that Dr. Lance Garrison is the Dean of the College of Professional Psychology at The Chicago School.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Colegio de San Juan de Letran (transl. College of San Juan de Letran), also referred to by its acronym CSJL or simply, Letran, is a private Catholic basic and higher education institution owned an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colegio_de_San_Juan_de_Letran
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of notable alumni of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_University_of_North_Ca…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Victor Kenneth Braden Jr. (August 2, 1929 – October 6, 2014) was an American tennis player, instructor, sport researcher and television broadcaster for the sport. He earned a PhD in psychology and was…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vic_Braden
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 8: “Nir Eyal, author of "Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life."”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and multiple web sources explicitly confirm that Nir Eyal is the author of 'Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life'.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 United States Senate election in Michigan will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Michigan. Democratic former Wayne County he…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_elec…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nir Eyal is an Israeli-born American author, lecturer, and investor. He wrote Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products (2014), Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life (20…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nir_Eyal
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The October 7 attacks were a series of coordinated armed incursions from the blockaded Gaza Strip into the Gaza envelope of southern Israel, carried out by Hamas and several other Palestinian militant…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_7_attacks
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.