CCTV9英语新闻：Smartphones damage relationships

A recent survey suggests the average Chinese person checks his or her phone more than 100 times a day, and that can have an effect on their personal relationships. ICS Reporter has the story. 

 

It seems everywhere you look, you can see people checking their cell phones - as they walk down the street, wait for the subway or even ride a scooter. 

 

"I use my phone around 6 hours a day. I usually hold it in my hand or put it in the pocket. If it's not there, I feel something is missing," said passer-by Wang Qiang. 

 

"I spend a lot of time on my phone now. I can't help checking Wechat updates once I stop working. I will certainly check social media before going to sleep and as soon as I wake up everyday," said passer-by Wu Qilan. 

 

"I probably look at my phone every five minutes, to use Wechat, to use Facebook messenger, to take a picture and post it on Instagram. It's just a way to stay connected to your friends at all times, in a way that you just couldn't five or ten years ago," said passer-by Will Potter.

 

Recent research conducted by Qihu.com suggests more than 12 percent of Chinese people spend over six hours playing with their phones every day, and more than half spend two to five hours on phones. The busiest hours are early in the morning and late at night. 

 

You might not notice how many times you unlock your phone everyday. Recent research shows that on average Chinese people check their phones 122 times a day. And some people even check 850 times a day. Most of them would go to Wechat to check messages, read news, or more importantly, to work. 

 

"The biggest problem now is that smartphones have become a major means of communication at work, which causes a lot of trouble. For example, if your boss gives you an assignment by cell phone, or your client communicates with you on the phone, you have to accept it anytime," said Lei Kaichun, Associate Professor of SH Academy of Social Sciences.

 

Lei says too much time playing with gadgets can harm relationships outside of work. 

 

"The biggest damage it brings to is personal or intimate relationships. When you are at work, you still have some face-to-face communication if you need it. But in intimate relationships, some people will bring the habit of using smartphones to daily life and be unwilling to communicate with each other," 

 

"They prefer to click a like, instead of meeting in person or talking straightly. That's harmful to a relationship," said Lei.

 

But Lei says it isn't necessarily a bad thing if we could still control the usage of the phone. But she suggests we turn off the notifications on unnecessary applications and stay away from the phone and talk to someone real outside work hours.