67% of people confessed to being on their phones even while they were spending time with their spouse, stated the fourth edition of the ‘Smartphones and their impact on human relationships 2022’ study released by vivo in association with Cybermedia Research (CMR). Moreover, it found that 89% of respondents said that they spend less time engaging in relaxed conversation with their spouse than possible. According to the study, 66% of respondents felt that their relationships have weakened. Moreover, 84% of respondents wished to spend more time with their spouses with 88% of respondents agreeing that increased usage of smartphones is hurting their relationship and 90% of people saying they want to devote more leisure time to meaningful conversations with their spouses.
The significance of a smartphone in today’s life is undisputed however excessive usage remains an area that users need to be cautious of, Yogendra Sriramula, head brand strategy, vivo India, said. “As a brand, we aim to underline the importance of spending time with our loved ones, for that is the true meaning of leisure time. vivo’s fourth edition of the ‘switch off’ report aims to raise awareness, especially among married couples to help them maintain a healthy relationship with their loved ones while reaping the benefits of the technology,” he added.
The study was executed by CyberMedia Research (CMR), a market research and advisory firm, covering more than 1000 consumers, across Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Pune, it claimed. The study observed that 70% of people get irritated when their spouse asks for something while they are immersed in their smartphones. While 67% of people confessed to being on their phones even while they’re spending time with their spouse, 89% of respondents said that they spend less time engaging in relaxed conversation with their spouse than possible.
Under the banner of smartphone addiction, the company found that 86% of respondents agreed that the phone is the last thing that users see before hitting the bed and 84% of people agree that their phones have become a part of their bodies that they cannot separate from. Moreover, the study saw that 89% of people felt the urge to reach out to their smartphone as soon as they get some free time in addition to revealing that 88% of respondents spend their leisure time on the smartphone which is now a part of their behaviour.
Yet, there is a silver line in this study. It reported that smartphones are helping 60% of people stay connected with loved ones and 59% of polled agreed that smartphone has improved their knowledge. Additionally, 58%, respondents said that smartphones have increased the ease of shopping and 55% of people say that smartphone helps them boost their productivity.