While walking down the street in Taipei last year, I came across an interesting ad that read “Don’t be a phubber.” The ad showed a cracked cell phone screen with a drawing of a person walking while and looking down at their smartphone. The phone was balanced on top of screeched tire tracks surrounded by droplets of blood. The message of the ad was clear- If you look down at your smartphone while walking you could be seriously injured.
The Stop Phubbing campaign was created by an Australian advertising executive. The term “phubbing” means to snub someone by talking on your phone instead of talking to them.
Living in the New York metropolitan area, I think this is great advice. In fact, the inverse is also true. We benefit from looking up and checking out what’s all around us. If we pay attention, we can find something new and exciting, even in places we regularly visit. Like the supermarket.
Next time you walk through the aisles of the supermarket, c-store or even a deli, check out the latest food innovation. Lots of small start-ups are producing wonderful products and it’s a real treat to notice and try them. Food-preneurs come up with flavorful new combinations of standard items (who knew how great ginger, carrots, bananas, and blueberries taste when they are combined into a smoothie?). Then there are all the new vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO, USDA, and nut-free creations. The variety is endless!
Being a snack food junkie, I am always on the lookout for the latest munchy. Whether it’s a chip, brownie or a new fruit-tea based beverage that reminds me of summer, I am up for the challenge.
We’re all guilty of being occasional phubbers, and that can be OK, if we’re somewhere safe. But we should never become fubbers- food snubbers! We’d miss out on all sorts of wonderful new treats that are right in front of us waiting to be experienced.
So, look up from your smartphone and take in the world. You’ll discover something terrific- and you won’t leave hungry.