Letter to the Editor: More Focus Belongs on Relationships

Dear editor,

For a project for my Communications class, I've been keeping a close eye on how couples act in public, like eating at restaurants. I could not help but notice that these couples were not speaking to each other. These couples I had noticed all had one thing in common, and that was being on their phones.

During this self research, I talked to a few close friends that have significant others. Each person admitted that there has been at least one time where themselves had ignored their partner and stayed on the phone while they were out eating, and vice versa as well. So this brought me to a thought of, "Why are phones more interesting than people?".

Following this question, I felt that since everyone has the internet in their pocket, maybe people feel that they can start a conversation with the other by seeing something on social media. Each person could show the other a funny picture, or even a serious news report that could be discussed during the rest of their time together. Of course, there are cons to this. Another conclusion to the question was the obvious one; couples completely ignoring each other the whole time together and not engaging in conversation. It is hard for all of us to not pull out our phones at any point during the day, but I think that if you are putting your time in someone else, you should always engage in meaningful conversation to help that relationship grow.

Brooklyn Patrick

Recreation and Sport Management

Junior