New research suggests smartphones could interfere with romantic relationships.
Researchers found the small interruptions that come with smartphone use could be relationship killers, Brigham Young University reported.
The research team looked at 143 women who were in committed relationships, and found more than 70 percent of them believed they had less interactions with their significant other as a result of smartphone use.
The researchers found the "technoference" sets off a chain of negative events including "more conflict about technology, lower relationship quality, lower life satisfaction and higher risk of depression."
"This is likely a circular process that people become trapped in where allowing technology to interfere, even in small ways, in one's relationship at least sometimes causes conflict, which can begin to slowly erode the quality of their relationship," said Brandon T. McDaniel of The Pennsylvania State University. "Over time, individuals feel less satisfied with their relationship as well as with the way their life is currently going. They may not even realize this is happening."
Couples could also turn to smartphones and other technology to escape their bad feelings about the relationship, this can contribute to the "technoference" cycle.
"It's a wake-up call to me because I realized I'm doing this too," said Sarah Coyne of Brigham Young University. "That's insane to say that as a professional who researches this, but we can let these devices overrule our entire lives if we allow it."
Coyne said some strategies to avoid the problem include placing the phone during one-on-one time, provide a legitimate explanation before checking the phone, and not getting defensive when one is called out on contributing to "technoference."
"When you are having one-on-one time with your partner, let's say we're going out to dinner, we should be focusing on each other," Poynter said. "But if I'm on my device, or he is on his device, that really interferes with the precious couple time that we have."
