Phubbing is a social no-no and can have a drastic impact on romantic relationships, but with smartphones playing an ever-increasing role in our lives, we've all done it Are you a phubber? Or have you been phubbed? No, we didn't make that word up, and no, it's not to be confused with Clubber, the streaming platform for club-level GAA matches. Phubbing is short for 'phone snubbing' and is a term coined well over a decade ago that describes the act of ignoring someone in favour of your phone.