Screens are an integral and necessary part of daily life for most, but excessive screen time can lead to miscommunication, increase emotional disconnection, and ultimately engender conflict in personal relationships. The term’ phubbing,’ which blends ‘phone’ and ‘snubbing,’ emerged a while ago to encapsulate the phenomenon. Phubbing creates emotional distance and disrupts relationships because partners are less likely to engage in meaningful conversations when they are glued to their phones, TV, or computer. The absence of quality interaction can make people feel unappreciated and ignored, potentially leading to feelings of frustration and loneliness.
Excessive screen time can cause jealousy or insecurity, especially if you’re overindulging in social media. Your partner might feel neglected if you spend more time interacting on social media than communicating with them. Social media can also lead people to form unrealistic expectations about their significant other, creating comparisons that lead to doubt and dissatisfaction.
Ways to reduce screen time
Taking measures to reduce screen time can positively impact your relationship, productivity, and well-being, especially if you’re starting to feel drained or overwhelmed by your screen habits. You can counteract the digital divide by giving your significant other a dedicated space for quality time and shared experiences. When couples foster a sense of togetherness and understand the ramifications of screen time versus quality time, they can create lasting memories instead of relegating their needs to fleeting, screen-based distractions.
Strategies to reduce screen time include creating screen-free zones, setting boundaries, engaging in offline activities more frequently, turning off your notifications, practicing mindfulness, and implementing a digital detox, if necessary. Make certain areas of your home screen-free to create a physical separation between digital spaces and your relaxation and designate specific times for social media, checking messages, or watching TV.
Find activities or hobbies that don’t involve screens, such as spending time outdoors, reading, cooking, or exercising.
You can mitigate the urge to engage in screen time outside of designated spaces and times by turning off notifications. Finally, designate one day a week or two weeks, on which you refrain from using screens when you’re not working.
You are not alone
According to 2025 data, women aged 16 – 24 are the biggest offenders where screen time is concerned, spending more than seven and a half hours online every day. Men aged 25 – 34 follow with seven hours and 13 minutes a day.
Men and women aged 55 – 64 spend the least time looking at screens; five hours and 18 minutes for women and five hours and 21 minutes for men. However, experts recommend being online two hours per day at most, and five hours is still well above that.
FAQ
What are the biggest threats to personal relationships?
They include device-related distractions, poor communication, lack of trust, hectic lifestyles, and ideological differences. Less common threats include violence, infidelity, mental illness, financial pressure, substance abuse, and taking partners for granted.
How can a relationship succeed?
Communicate your needs instead of waiting for your partner to read your mind.
Bring up issues carefully rather than lashing out at your partner – this rarely achieves a positive outcome.
Focus on the positive things about your partner. It takes five positive comments to counter the effect of a single critical one.
People are often too busy making a point or defending themselves to really listen to their partners. Let them know that you have heard them before responding.
