It’s not hard to find evidence of phones and devices taking priority over real conversation. Just look around the next time you go out to eat—chances are there will be at least a few couple who are sitting face-to-face yet staring down at their screens. And while occasionally pausing to answer a text or check a work emergency may seem harmless, over time these distractions add up. When I’m together with other people, especially those with whom I’m in lasting relationships, I have to be present. And if I’m staring down at my phone, I’m not attending to those needs.
No surprise, then, that most relationships are unsatisfying. Devices are up there with finances, sex and moral codes when it comes to impacting the quality of relationships. When a guy looks down at his phone, he’s watering down our relationship…it’s like telling me “OK, I’m here with you, but right now this is more important.” And given that the average person checks his/her phone once every 5 minutes, it’s inevitable my date will be glancing at a device while trying to spend time with me.
The obvious solution: put your phone down. But as we all well know, that’s far easier said than done. It takes work to keep relationships on track, otherwise it’s just two solitary lives having a meaningless date.