If you hold your phone more than your partner at night, you might be the reason they are becoming a stranger.
How couples choose to unwind before bedtime is an overlooked relationship killer, therapists say. And the biggest culprit might just be the TVs and phones we often use to put our “responsibilities on pause,” said Negin Motlagharani, an individual, couples and sex therapist.
After an exhausting day of work and parenting duties, it can feel nice to turn off our brains and look at screens. But if your partner is trying to make conversation with you and “you’re not responding because you’re so consumed in the world of technology, then you’re missing cues for connection and emotional-deepening conversations that could lead to building and cementing trust,” Motlagharani warned.
While you are checking Facebook and absently replying “uh-huh” to your partner, they might be quietly seething with frustration and resentment.
Anita Chlipala, a marriage and family therapist, also said a partner’s use of electronics is a top complaint she hears from her clients.
