BY TERRY GASPARD

When Kylie, 35, and Henry, 36, sat in my office for a couples session, it became clear that they were disconnected because they sat at opposite ends of the couch. When I asked them what brought them in for counseling, Kylie spoke about how Henry was constantly on his phone and she felt ignored. Henry shared that he knew he had an addiction to his phone but he just didn’t realize how bad things were with Kylie.

Kylie put it like this: “I love Henry and I know he loves me but we’ve drifted apart. Between work, texting his friends, social media, and checking sports scores, Henry’s on his phone most of the time. I feel lonely and miss the time we used to go for walks and watch our favorite shows together.”

There is recent evidence that advances in technology such as instant messaging, text, and social media threaten to strip away important aspects of the way couples and family members relate and connect with one another. Consumers globally have strong emotional ties to the internet and spend a significant amount of time using it in their daily lives.

If you regularly spend time fostering positive communication, talking or sharing an activity, you’ll be much happier in your relationships than if you don’t. It’s wise to pay close attention to how technology can bring knowledge but can also create emotional distance when it plays too large a role in your free time or communication.

9 ways technology can negatively impact your relationships:

Meal times. It turns out that reputable studies recommend that couples and family members stay unplugged from technology at key times and allow plenty of time to connect – especially during mealtimes – if they want to maintain loving, respectful, and nurturing relationships.

Intimacy: Sometimes the ways couples use technology can stir conflict and disagreements. A 2014 Pew Study showed that one in four found their romantic partner distracted by their phone. This study found that nearly 1 in 10 had argued with a partner about excessive use and that many arguments had to do with cell use.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/terrygaspard/2023/11/4-ways-you-can-creatively-limit-the-use-of-technology-in-your-home/