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Relationships on Female First
Research by Lenovo Mobile Business Group (MBG) has found that beauty is in the eye of the tech beholder in that people care more about what their phones look like than their partner. A social experiment also undertaken by the company shows when presented with key attributes we'd choose to date a phone over a human. We spoke to award winning Dating and Relationship Expert, Caroline Brealey to shed some light on these findings.
Why do we care more about how our phones look than our romantic partners?
Part of our love with technology is how it looks - we want it to look beautiful and sleek. It's part of the attraction of a mobile and what draws us to it. We also have the luxury of being able to pick and choose the phone we like the look of best and even better, it can't turn us down! You can even personalise the style of your mobile through Moto's online design studio Moto Maker, so you can pick and choose the look that works for you. When we're looking for a romantic partner we have a much bigger list of 'wants' than with a mobile phone, after all we're talking about someone you will spending the rest of your life with. Phones on the other hand we know we can upgrade to a better model in a few years' time….though I think some people would like to do that with their partner!
Are looks no longer important in attraction?
Looks will always play a part in attraction. We would be fibbing if we said looks don't count at all. But there is so much more to attraction than physical attraction. The way someone holds themselves, their sense of humour and their personality is often what we are drawn to in a person. If they look great? That's the icing on the cake!
Why is reliability so important in a relationship?
Our partners are often our best friends. The person who is there through thick and thin, the good and the bad times. It is very hard to build a loving and most importantly, trusting relationship with someone who is unreliable. If you cancel dates and they can't rely on you being there for them, even if it's simply for a chat after a rubbish day at work, your partner will question how serious you are about the relationship, and them. We all want to feel special and loved and reliability goes a long way to us feeling secure and happy.
Why do people rate communication as important when many couples are so distracted by their phones?
With all the technology we have, communicating with one another should be easier than ever before. The problem is, not every way of communicating suits everyone and it's about finding what works for you as a couple.
Have you got any advice for existing couples who are spending more time on their phones than with their partner?
Take a short digital detox. Leave your phone at home and go off out for the day together, your friends will survive without your Facebook/Twitter/Instragram updates for 1 day!
What should people compromise over when dating?
The key to compromising is finding out what you absolutely won't compromise on and being flexible on everything else. We all have 1 or 2 deal breakers - just make sure you only have a handful or you run the risk of ruling out lots of people. It's always a good idea to question why you won't compromise on something. For example why won't you meet someone who is divorced? Often we don't question why we think something.
How can singles learn to cope with not being satisfied with their date 100% of the time?
It's important to manage your expectations when dating - not every date will be perfect and if you are searching for a 'perfect' person you will be single a very long time! A measure of a great date is did you laugh? Have fun? Great, that's what a date is all about!
You say that 'devices evolve and advance', but surely relationships can too?
Absolutely, relationships can evolve and we would hope they would. As technology moves on so do relationships, the way we communicate and how we interact with one another.
Are we in danger of talking less to our partner as more digital devices come into the market?
Yes. Balance, like any healthy relationship is so important. It's absolutely fine to spend the night browsing online on your phone, watching TV etc, we all need those kind of nights. But make sure you also look up from your phone and spend quality time with your partner. Technology is there to improve and make our lives easier and add enjoyment, they aren't there to take over from 1:1 interaction - nothing can do that.
tagged in Relationship Partners best friend