When couples live in their phone

April 16, 2019

I love eating out. I love discovering new foods and trying different flavours, but my favorite thing about eating out is the vibrant, usually entertaining conversations that come with doing so.

Even on the days that I venture out by myself, I’m always fortunate to meet someone that can have a great conversation and soon I’m making a new friend. One of my favourite things to do on these nights I choose to eat out alone is to people watch. I am very intrigued by the body language of dining partners and I try to figure out the ones who are on a date, the special occasion outings and the obligatory date night that some couples have placed in their schedules.

The couples especially intrigued me because I try to ascertain the status of their union and in some cases whether or not they still even like each other. I remember this particular couple that I was observing at a popular casual dining restaurant recently. The first thing I noticed about them is their body language – they weren’t making every effort to not make eye contact, as a matter of fact, they were turned away from each other.

Another thing that stood out to me is that they are not speaking to each other at all. There were moments when the waiter would come over and they will engage with him, exchanging pleasantries but as soon as he leaves, silence. While observing this couple, I also notice another younger couple who seem to be physically present, but spent the entire time on their phones. They literally on looked up from their devices when the waiter engages them as well.

My observation of these couples proves a phenomenon that some experts speak about regarding the health of relationships in our fast-paced, high tech world. Social media and technology as a whole have been blamed for the demise of many relationships. While I agree that they are factors, I refuse to place the blame fully at the doors of these helpful tools.

The blame really lies with the individuals who have neglected to nourish and build on their union as a couple and instead have allowed themselves to become so distracted, they lose sight of what is really important – their relationship. My advice it these couples is simple – look up at your partner and talk to them, really talk, and listen – you just might rediscover why you committed to them in the first place. And feel free to try a new restaurant together, no devices.

Other Commentary Stories