Are you guilty of "backdoor browsing"?
There is a habit that very few people can resist, and now it finally has a name: "backdoor browsing."
We've all done it. Someone takes out their phone and starts texting or scrolling, and we just can't help but sneak a little peek.
Sometimes you might do it deliberately, and other times you may not even notice yourself doing it.
The point is, people are naturally curious beings, so it makes sense that we might glance at someone else's phone.
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Now this bad habit has a name, and the internet is calling it "backdoor browsing."
"Backdoor browsing" refers to the guilty pleasure of physically looking at someone's phone screen over their shoulder or from the side.
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Laura Windsor, known as the Queen of Etiquette, told Metro that "backdoor browsing" is a common occurrence, and most people aren't actually trying to deliberately invade someone else's privacy.
"Sometimes we are in such close proximity to others that our gaze naturally falls on bright, shiny objects or any object that is in front of us. Some of us resist the urge to snoop, while others continue reading out of sheer curiosity. How many of us are guilty of reading a few lines of someone else’s book? Most of us are guilty of that," says Windsor.
What to do when faced with a "backdoor browser"
Windsor also offered a few tips on what you can do when someone is looking at your phone.
Firstly, she suggests pausing what you’re doing, putting your phone away, and giving the person a chance to refocus on something else.
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"Alternatively, move nonchalantly to another spot and hope that the next person won't be as curious!"
Another option is to address the perpetrator directly.
You might say something, or simply give them a look that says, "Yes? Can I help you?"
Blackout screens
It's no wonder there has been an increase in people using blackout screen protectors on their phones.
A blackout screen protector is essentially a privacy shield that darkens your display for anyone viewing from the sides.
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