Most married Indians blame smartphone usage for hurting relationships: Vivo-CMR Study

Majority of married Indians feel the excessive use of smartphones is hurting their relationships, as couples feel irritated when interrupted from using their mobiles and complain of not being attentive enough while conversing, according to a study.

Excessive usage of smartphones has created a detrimental impact on the time family members spend together, 58% of people agreed that they use smartphones while eating meals whereas 60% use them in their living room.

Furthermore, 86% of respondents agreed that the phone is the last thing that users see before hitting the bed. A whopping 60% of people also use smartphones while sitting with family instead of having momentous conversations, said the fourth edition of the ‘Switch Off’ study by Vivo and Cybermedia Research.


Users are spending on average 4.7 hours on a smartphone, with majority of the respondents agreeing increased usage of smartphones is hurting their relationship with their spouse, and not being attentive enough to their spouse at times.

On one hand, the study found smartphones are helping 60% of people stay connected with loved ones, while a majority said it improved their knowledge, boost productivity, and made shopping easier.

But on the other hand, 84% of people agree that their phones have become a part of their bodies that they cannot separate from, while 89% of people feel the urge to reach out to their smartphone as soon as they get some free time.

The study reveals that 88% of respondents spend their leisure time on the smartphone which is now a part of their behaviour.

"The significance of a smartphone in today’s life is undisputed however excessive usage remains an area that the users need to be cautious of. As a responsible brand, we aim to underline the importance of spending time with our loved ones," said Yogendra Sriramula, Head Brand Strategy, Vivo India.

As a silver lining, the study found 84% of respondents wish to spend more quality time with their spouse whereas 90% would want to devote more leisure time to having meaningful conversations with their spouse.