20 Signs Your Dating Life Needs a Digital Detox
Alarming ways your digital life is starting to affect your dating life.
- Cyra Sanchez
- 8 min read
Many people enjoy using their devices for various reasons. Though no matter what those reasons are, it’s bound to affect your relationship at some point. But how do you know if it’s time to take a break and slow down in living your digital life? This article will reveal the top 20 alarming signs that signal that your relationship needs to have a digital detox as soon as possible.
1. Showing less interest
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There are many ways to get away from reality for a while, such as playing video games, scrolling on your phone, or doing whatever interests you on your digital devices. However, it’s also easy to get lost in the digital world while losing interest in the people around you, including your partners. If you think you or your partner has been spending too much time on their devices, speak to them and ask them to slow down for the sake of your relationship.
2. Negative things online affect you or your partner
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Whatever you consume digitally may sometimes leave a lasting impact on your mental health. For example, constantly reading bad news and watching negative videos online for hours can start affecting your mood. Once you notice this happening to you or your partner, then it’s time for a digital detox to save your relationship.
3. Always in a bad mood
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If you feel easily irritated or cranky whenever you’re not using your digital devices, then that’s a good sign that you or your partner needs a digital detox. Sometimes, we become too attached or dependent on material things like our devices and it ends up putting us in a bad mood whenever we’re not touching our phones or playing our video games. Before the digital addiction grows worse and ruins your relationship, it’s time to make a change.
4. Interacting more with friends or strangers
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Social media lets you connect with many people around the world, even with strangers. This could be fun and interesting especially if you’re a social person who likes building connections. However, doing this too much could end up making you or your partner feel neglected, as you might spend more time getting closer to other people than the person you’re dating.
5. You’re disconnected from each other
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It’s normal to feel disconnected from your partner once in a while, but always using your digital devices can make this twice worse. Not only will it take your attention away from your lover, but you might also end up consuming ideas that can further push you away from your relationship. It’s time to put the gadgets down and rekindle the flame between you and your partner.
6. Social media causes more arguments
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Some people still get affected by the things they see and consume online. So if your partner often uses social media which may change their interests, habits, behavior, and other things that ultimately affect your relationship, then the situation can be alarming. Someone easily influenced by social media needs a digital detox immediately.
7. Jealousy became more common
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When social media starts causing jealousy in the relationship, then it’s time to step away from using your devices right away. Not only will it worsen your partner’s insecurity or trust issues, but it can even make them feel like you’re choosing your devices over your relationship. Take the time to discuss your digital boundaries to prevent jealousy between the two of you.
8. It affects your physical intimacy
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Imagine it’s been a long day of working or doing activities and now you just want to lay in bed while cuddling with your partner, but when they climb the bed and lie down next to you, they’re still using their devices which also make it hard to sleep. You can’t even cuddle properly or become sexually intimate due to their distraction. This can ruin the quality of your relationship so it’s a sign for a digital detox.
9. You spend less time together
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Using digital devices is one way to be in your own world with no one to interrupt you once you lose yourself in that world. This may lead to spending less time with your partner which would then slowly affect the quality of your relationship. If you truly want to use your devices a lot, it’s a good idea to find an activity both of you can do together while using your gadgets.
10. Poor listening skills
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Have you ever tried talking to someone busy with their devices, like when they’re focused on watching a movie or playing a video game? Oftentimes, they can barely pause what they’re doing to listen to what you have to say, at times, they won’t even take their eyes off the screen to look at your face. This is something that calls for a digital detox before your partner starts feeling like you no longer care about them.
11. Social media adds pressure on your relationship
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On apps like Facebook or Instagram, it’s common to find a lot of posts tagged with “relationship goals!” and such. When your partner often consumes these types of posts, they may unconsciously start comparing your relationship with other people which can turn toxic for both of you. Before this happens, speak to your partner and talk about a digital detox.
12. Spending more time on your devices affects your health
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If you use your devices for too long, not only will it damage your eyes, but it can also affect things like your sleep and overall physical health. And when your health starts getting affected, your partner will begin to worry and it might even affect your relationship. You might think your partner is trying to control you or take away your simple joys in life, but in reality, they just want you to take a digital detox for the sake of your health too.
13. Your empathy is affected
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Studies have shown that people who spend more time on social media may have reduced empathy compared to those who don’t. This means your emotional intelligence can be affected the more you spend time using your devices. And when that happens, having a lack of empathy could lead to problems in your relationships.
14. You can’t focus on each other
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When your partner keeps checking their phone every 5 minutes whenever you’re together, it starts to feel annoying as if they care more about their digital life than the moment they’re spending with you. This may cause you to drift away from each other, that’s why you need a digital detox to give your partner your full, undivided attention once more. Get your priorities straight and make them feel important.
15. Facing temptations
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Most people are faithful to their partners no matter the circumstances. But let’s face it, the internet lets you meet tons of people who pass your dating standards and you may find them physically attractive. These temptations are the beginning of micro-cheating in relationships and that’s a strong sign for you or your partner to take a digital detox if it’s starting to affect your faithfulness.
16. Micro-cheating
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Building connections through our digital devices has become much easier today and that also means it’s easier to hide things from your partner too. You can message someone or look at somebody’s photos and your partner may never even know. But that’s what they call micro-cheating which can put an end to your relationship and it’s an immediate sign for you to take a digital detox.
17. Lying to each other
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Imagine your partner tells you that they’re going to sleep but later on, you found out that they stayed up all night playing video games or scrolling on social media. Naturally, that can make you feel betrayed and you’ll find it hard to trust your partner again. These small lies can pile up and turn big later on which can kill a relationship and that’s why a digital detox is important before it reaches that point.
18. Neglecting your individual lives
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When you’re too consumed by your digital life, you end up neglecting your personal life in the real world. This includes leaving behind your hobbies, your career, your interests, your loved ones, and even your partner. When this happens, your mental health may slowly decline without you realizing it and that could eventually affect your relationship with your lover.
19. It’s affecting your careers
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It’s hard to find balance in your hobbies, careers, as well as your social life. So when you’re too consumed by your digital life, you may end up sacrificing your health and your sleep which would then affect your performance in your careers. As a result, you may end up having a bad mood or even lose your job which can ruin your relationship as well.
20. Poor coping mechanism
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Some people use their digital devices to escape their daily lives mostly when they have some internal struggles going on. However, this isn’t always a healthy coping mechanism especially when you end up neglecting the people around you too. Your partner may feel like you don’t trust them or they’d feel useless since you’d rather rely on a digital device than open up to them.