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SALT LAKE CITY — A recent survey found 60 percent of U.S. smartphone users don't go more than an hour without checking their gadgets.
Additionally, some studies are now pointing toward the ramification that these devices are hurting people's relationships.
“Humans are wired for direct connection with each other," said Julie Hanks, director of Wasatch Family Therapy. She said texting and scrolling must not get in the way of that.
“We need touch and face-to-face communication," she said. "That needs to take priority.”
Before smartphone users start feeling really guilty, Hanks stressed that technology isn’t bad — it’s change.
“Don’t make assumptions that it’s just mindless distraction," Hanks said. "It can be really valuable.”
Hanks suggested people can strengthen their human relationships by having tech-free zones.
“For my family, the table is a tech-free zone," she said. "When we are eating meals, we don’t have our devices.”
Also, make the people in the room more important than your devices, she said.
“Be where your feet are. Be with the people you are with at that moment," she said. "That’s what we need for emotional and relationship health.”
