Turn Off To Turn On:
Smartphones May Power Down
Intimate Relationships Due To
'Technoference'

‘Technoference’ could be powering
down connections in intimate
relationships.Smartphones have opened up the flood
gates to instant and constant communication in the twenty-first century making us always readily “available” 24/7. Although our wireless devices are generally seen as a convenience, they can also be a plague of everyday intrusions and interruptions to our most intimate relationships. According to a recent
study published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture, technology and screens that keep us
constantly connected to the world actually create “technoference” and disconnects us from our significantothers.
It’s no surprise smartphones, tablets, and laptops can distract our attention from the present moment. A Mobile Mindset Study found we are constantly
connected, with nearly 60 percent of people admitting they don’t go an hour without checking their phone. This also extend to the bedroom with more than
half admitting they check their phones while lying in bed before they go to sleep, after they wake up, and even in the middle of the night. Using a smartphone isn’t smart in bed. In a relationship, a couple’s bed is a
sacred place and ideal for going to sleep and waking up to reconnect not disconnect with a partner. The
frequency of technoference in romantic relationships can interrupt interactions such as couple leisure time,
conversations, and mealtimes with partners.
In an effort to examine the effects of electronic devices on intimate relationships, Sarah Coyne, an author of the study and a psychologist at Brigham
Young University surveyed over 140 married or cohabiting heterosexual women and asked them about their phone, TV, computer and tablet habits.
They were also asked about how their partner used technology, if there was any conflict about using technology, and about their satisfaction with their
relationship and life overall. The findings revealed the most common technoference was seeing a partner pick up his phone during couple leisure time with 62 percent of. woman admitting this happened at
least once a day. During a conversation, 40 percent of women said their men would get distracted by the TV at least once a day while a third said he would
take out his phone in the middle of a conversation or during a meal together.
A quarter of the participants reported
their partner would actually send texts or emails to another person while they
were having a face-to-face conversation
with their significant other.
Overall, the more technoference in
relationships, the more likely women
reported conflict over technology use,
lower relationship satisfaction, more
depressive symptoms, and lower life
satisfaction. Using a structural equation
model of technoference predicting
conflict over technology use, the
researchers found it predicted
relationship satisfaction, which finally
predicted depression and life
satisfaction. The partners of these
women were giving their energy to
digital distractions and not their
partner, which could set the stage for
infidelity.
The mere sight of a cellphone could
also lead to trouble in paradise. A 2012
study published in the Journal of Social
and Personal Relationships found that
people who engaged in personal
discussions when a phone was nearby,
even if the couple isn’t using it,
reported lower relationship quality and
less trust for their partner. They
believed their partner was less
empathetic to their concerns.
Although smartphones allow us to
connect with friends, co-workers, and
even former flames leading to
immediate feelings of intimacy and
deeper connections, it can lessen our
connection with our near and dear
ones. Completely removing technology
from the relationship to combat
smartphone interruptus is not the
answer, according to the authors of the
study. Instead, they suggest for couples
to make rules about technology.
“Just having the discussion about
what's OK and what's not when it
comes to devices at the dinner table or
in the bedroom can help,” Coyne said
to National Public Radio. Coyne’s own
method is: "Put [the phone] out of my
reach, like on top of the refrigerator,
just so that it releases the temptation."
Couples should try to turn off their
electronic devices in the bedroom to
turn on.
Sources: Coyne SM and McDaniel BT.
“Technoference”: The Interference of
Technology in Couple Relationships and
Implications for Women’s Personal and Relational Well-Being. Psychology of
Popular Media Culture. 2014.
Przybylski AK and Weinstein N. Can you
connect with me now? How the
presence of mobile communication
technology influences face-to-face
conversation quality. Journal of Social
and Personal Relationships. 2012.

where is the pic nah......................

This is true... Sometimes i get annoyed when I'm with my girlfriend and she occasionally brings out her phone to whatsapp..