Is your smartphone ruining your love life? Phones ‘are relationship wreckers’

‘Phubbing’ your partner isn’t quite as rude (or painful) as it sounds – but it can seriously damage your relationship.

The term refers to snubbing your partner to look at your phone (‘phone’ plus ‘snubbing’ equals ‘phubbing’) – and is a relationship killer.

But James Roberts of Baylor University says that smartphones are now up there with money, sex and kids as a ‘relationship killer’.

And simply looking at your phone in the presence of your partner can be enough to harm your relationship, Roberts says.

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The researchers interviewed 145 people and found that 46% had been ‘phubbed’ by their partner – and that 37% felt depressed.

Roberts says, ‘People who reported being at the receiving end of phubbing also reported higher levels of conflict over smartphone use than those who reported less phubbing. Not surprisingly, higher levels of smartphone-related conflict reduced levels of relationship satisfaction.

‘Something as seemingly innocent as using a smartphone in the presence of a romantic partner undermined the quality of the relationship. This can create a domino effect: As our study also showed, when we’re not happily in love, we are also less likely to be satisfied, overall, with life. We’re also more likely to report that we are depressed.’