[thisislife2]

I don't know about marriages, but it sure seems to be preventing the next generation from bonding. We had a large family gathering recently. Four teens, all cousins, were amongst them. They spent nearly the whole day sitting next to each other, each engrossed in their phones, barely conversing with each other. This is such a generational switch in attitude that was hard to immediately comprehend as our generation used to be so excited to meet our cousins and nephews and nieces during such get-together or holidays (in fact, we still look forward to it). But for the teens, it was like just another day in their life, as usual, albeit with more delicious meals and the treats of lots of desserts.

[giraffe_lady]

In my life the people who are the worst about this are in their 50s, 60s and early 70s. The teens I know use their phones around each other and it's jarring to me but stepping back it's still fairly interactive. They are showing each other things, engaging in a drawn out conversation with each other as they scroll, etc. It didn't initially seem like it to me and it's not how I like to interact but they are still socializing.

The older people are putting on their reading glasses and just going completely in, zero interaction with or awareness of their surroundings. A lot, probably the majority of people in this age range don't use their phones for entertainment at all. But the ones who do I think are as bad about it as any stereotype about kids these days.