Is your partner addicted to their smartphone? Here's how it can ruin your relationship
| Mar 7, 2019, 15:23 IST
Don't you hate it when you're discussing something with your partner and you turn around to see that they're scrolling through their social media feed on their phone? What's more, they missed out on more than half of the things you were saying. While this may seem like a mildly annoying thing, it actually has the potential to ruin relationships. Psychologist Dr. Anil Sethi and a relationship expert spoke about how smartphone addiction can ruin relationships. Here's what they had to say.
Signs that your partner has smartphone addiction:
- You keep getting ignored: “Talking to them is like talking to a wall as they are so zoned out in their phone that they ignore you,” says one expert. They don't do this on purpose, they're actually really addicted to their phones.
- Your partner gets distracted easily: “It’s tough to get your partner’s attention as they are always distracted: they can’t properly pay attention to you”, says Dr. Sethi. This, of course, can make you feel like you're not important enough and can cause intimacy issues.
- Your partner begins to get anxious every time they're away from their phone for long.
How to deal with the problem:
- Have a conversation: Don't confront your partner, just try to have a conversation with them and tell them that this is unhealthy for them. Try to make them aware of how bad it can be for your relationship.
- Create gadget-free zones and time: You need to create gadget-free zones in your house. For example, you can set the dinner table as a gadget-free zone. This way, you two can eat and peace and can have a proper conversation. You can also set gadget-free timings where you don't use your phones for a particular amount of time.
- If nothing is working out then it's best that you seek professional help.
Signs that your partner has smartphone addiction:
- You keep getting ignored: “Talking to them is like talking to a wall as they are so zoned out in their phone that they ignore you,” says one expert. They don't do this on purpose, they're actually really addicted to their phones.
- Your partner gets distracted easily: “It’s tough to get your partner’s attention as they are always distracted: they can’t properly pay attention to you”, says Dr. Sethi. This, of course, can make you feel like you're not important enough and can cause intimacy issues.
- Your partner begins to get anxious every time they're away from their phone for long.
How to deal with the problem:
- Have a conversation: Don't confront your partner, just try to have a conversation with them and tell them that this is unhealthy for them. Try to make them aware of how bad it can be for your relationship.
- Create gadget-free zones and time: You need to create gadget-free zones in your house. For example, you can set the dinner table as a gadget-free zone. This way, you two can eat and peace and can have a proper conversation. You can also set gadget-free timings where you don't use your phones for a particular amount of time.
- If nothing is working out then it's best that you seek professional help.