Most existing research assumes “phone use during face-to-face interactions” to be psychosocially detrimental. Drawing on the digital social multitasking framework, this study explored not only the negative but also positive implications of the behavior. A sample of 517 adolescents (M_age = 14.83, S.D. = 1.93; 50% female) recruited through the Qualtrics panel completed an online survey. Results showed that adolescents’ and their friend’s digital social multitasking were both associated with (1) greater perceived efficiency, which, in turn, was associated with competence need satisfaction, and (2) greater perceived connection, which, in turn, was associated with better friendship quality, autonomy need satisfaction, and relatedness need satisfaction. Adolescents’ own multitasking also had an indirect, negative relationship with friendship quality through perceived distraction, but friend’s multitasking did not compromise friendship quality. The study provides a more balanced picture, showing that despite the potential harm of digital social multitasking, adolescents’ phone use during face-to-face peer interactions also involves potential benefits for teens’ psychosocial well-being.

大多数现有研究假设“在面对面互动中使用电话”对社会心理有害。本研究利用数字社交多任务处理框架，不仅探讨了行为的负面影响，还探讨了积极影响。517 名青少年样本（M_年龄 = 14.83，SD. = 1.93; 通过 Qualtrics 小组招募的 50% 女性）完成了在线调查。结果表明，青少年和他们朋友的数字社交多任务处理都与（1）更高的感知效率相关，这反过来又与能力需求满意度相关，以及（2）更大的感知联系，这反过来又与更好的友谊质量，自主需要满足，关联需要满足。青少年自己的多任务处理也通过感知分心与友谊质量有间接的负面关系，但朋友的多任务处理并没有损害友谊质量。该研究提供了一幅更加平衡的图景，表明尽管数字社交多任务处理存在潜在危害，