‘Lack of undivided attention’: Addiction to tech affects relationships, experts say
Global News
Winnipeg-based sex and relationship therapist Susan Wenzel says she often sees couples fighting over technology encroaching on the attention they want from their partners.
While keeping up with friends on social media or embracing the latest apps on a smartphone have become important parts of daily life for many in 2024, experts say relying too much on the instant gratification of technology can have a negative impact on your real-world relationships.
Winnipeg-based sex and relationship therapist Susan Wenzel says she often sees couples fighting over technology encroaching on the attention they want from their partners.
“The negative part would be the lack of undivided attention,” Wenzel told Global Winnipeg.
“I do see, in my office, a couple coming and saying that, whenever they talk to their partner, they’re not looking at them, they’re not paying attention to them, or they’re listening to them when they are watching TV or on their phone.
“If we are talking about building emotional bond with our partner, we do need undivided attention because we’re communicating, ‘Your time matters, you matter to me, and you’re important to me.’ So technology can cause people to feel that they are not heard in a relationship.”
Wenzel, who leads workshops and seminars across North America to help couples navigate their relationships, said another danger of excessive social media use is that people can start to compare all aspects of their lives — including the relationship with their partner — to the idealized, curated versions people post on social apps.
“You’re starting thinking, ‘Oh, we really suck’… like there’s something wrong with (your) relationship because you are comparing yourself with what other people are doing, and that can cause unhappiness in the relationship.
“And it’s not that your relationship is bad — it’s just that you are comparing yourself with other people. And we all know that saying that comparison is the thief of joy.”
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