Signs technological gadgets are ruining your relationships
If you are like many people, you made a New Year’s resolution to increase efficiency in your life using the hottest technological gadgets in your repertoire. But is your gizmo obsession taking over your life and hurting your relationships?
“We have become so accustomed to the luxuries of technology that we may be forgetting how to play, have personal connections and use coping skills in face-to-face interactions,” says John O’Neill, director of addictions services for The Menninger Clinic. “We can become overloaded by technology and suffer consequences in our relationships.”
Can we become addicted to technology? That’s debatable. But O’Neill says he sees parallels with the overuse of technology to dependency on substances such alcohol or drugs.
The following warning signs may indicate that you need to re-evaluate your use of technological devices (The full article expands on these headlines).
- You’d rather text than talk face-to-face.
- You can’t leave home without it.
- Your family or friends ask you to stop, but you can’t.
- You miss important life moments.
- Even after experiencing consequences you continue your behavior.
“Observing people on a daily basis, it is easy to recognize how lost we have become in our own worlds,” O’Neill says. “We can learn to healthily use increasing technological advances if we set limits, develop rules and attend to our relationships. Ultimately, being present in relationships with family and friends should include both body and mind.”
Full story at Menninger Clinic
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