Written by Amber Arneson
Pillow talk with your beau can be mighty tough when there’s a third party propped near your pillow. For the majority of modern folks, that third party is some type of mobile device. A Time magazine mobility poll found 68 percent of the respondents slept with their mobile devices next to their bed and an additional 16 percent needed it at least somewhere in the bedroom. Killing off intimacy in the bedroom isn’t the only way your mobile device can kill off your relationship.
Flubbed Up Flirting
Between 68 to 76 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds in the Time study said they used text messaging to flirt. That flirting could get you into big trouble unless it’s directed to your boyfriend and girlfriend. Possible faux pas include sending him a flirty text headed with another guy’s name, having him find frisky messages from other men on your own device or sending him a message thanking him heartily for last night’s beautiful birthday gifts after you told him you’d be spending last night at your mother’s house. The same holds true on his end, as one more stat to keep in mind is the 30 to 36 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds who said they used texting to coordinate or commit adultery.
Naked Truth
Sending racy pictures are another way to get in trouble with your device, and the practice is only slightly less popular than the digital flirting. A little more than half of the folks aged 25 to 34 said they sent suggestive pictures through their mobile or electronic devices, Time noted, all of which can serve for potential embarrassing fodder following a breakup. Your relationship can again be deeply marred by sending your provocative pix to the wrong recipient, especially if you happen to send it to your guy’s mother or father.
The Disastrous Digital Date
If you plan to take your smartphone out during a date, you may as well leave your boyfriend at home. You may already know it’s rudely obnoxious to whip out of your phone and start chatting away when you’re eating out at a restaurant, even though 36 percent of Americans admitted to almost always doing so.
What you may not know, however, is that the mere presence of your cell phone can put a big damper on the chances of any meaningful conversation between you and your dinner date. A study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships found that conversations became less meaningful, less intimate, less trusting and less empathetic with a cell phone simply sitting in view.
TMI Syndrome
Naked photos aside, another way to injure a relationship is by exposing too much information, or the well-known TMI. You’ve already lost intimacy with your beau when the first time you told him you loved him was with a smiley-faced text instead of with an in-person hug. The world’s addiction to connectivity, coupled with the rapid rate of communication sharing through social media sites, makes it possible to broadcast way too many intimate details about your love life, your deep secrets or your fights.
With Cisco reporting that the number of mobile-connected devices are expected to surpass the world’s population in 2013, there’s sure to be a whole lotta people listening in.
Identity Magazine is all about guiding women to discover their powers of Self-Acceptance, Appreciation, and Personal Achievement. We ask that every contributor and expert answer the Identity 5 questions in keeping with our theme. Their answers can be random and in the moment or they can be aligned with the current article they have written. In that way, and as a team, we hope to encourage and motivate each other, thus inspiring you to Get All A’s.
1. What have you accepted within your life, physically and/or mentally? Additionally, what are you still working on accepting? Now, we’re talking about resignation, rather stepping into, embraced, and owned.
I have accepted that I will not be young and healthy forever, but I try my best to live my life to the fullest every day.
2. What have you learned to appreciate about yourself and/or within your life, physically and mentally? On the other hand OR in contrast, are there elements of who you are that you’re still working on appreciating?
I appreciate my creativity all the love I have in my life.
What is3. What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? Tell us not only what makes YOU most proud but also share the goals and dreams that you still have.one of your most rewarding achievements in life? What goals do you still have?
My most rewarding achievement is being able to wake up every morning and go to a job I love
4. Of course, we all have imperfections, or so we think. In truth, we are all perfectly imperfect. What are your not-so-perfect ways? Likewise, what imperfections and quirks create who you are–your Identity?
I can be very detail oriented and sometimes it causes me to be a little late on deadlines
5. “I Love My…” is an outlet for you to appreciate and express all the positive traits that make you…well…YOU! In fact, sharing what you love about yourself will make you smile, feel empowered, and uplift your spirit and soul. (We assure you!) Therefore, Identity challenges you to complete the phrase “I Love My…?”
I love my husband, pets and cozy home!
Author Amber Arneson is an athlete through and through. She has competed in triathlons all over the country and loves to write about health, wellness, and green living.
