The Impact of Smartphones on Family and Marital Relationships

In March 2024, France Inter dedicated a program to the disruptions caused by smartphones in family and marital relationships. Several experts shared their analysis of this ongoing anthropological revolution.

A Central Object, Not a Comfort Blanket

For clinical psychologist Angélique Gozlan, taking away a teenager's smartphone represents the ultimate punishment. Psychiatrist Serge Tisseron qualifies this: unlike a comfort blanket to which a child attributes intentions, the mobile phone is a communication tool with peers, a crucial element in adolescence.

Ritualizing and Disciplining Usage

Philosopher Laurence Devillairs points out that while the presence of smartphones in our lives seems irreversible, the ban on smoking in public places proves that change is possible. Experts advocate for:

• Setting clear rules for use
• Ritualizing digital consumption as has been done for food
• Educating adults first, whose usage is exponential

Unbounded Freedom

Laurence Devillairs emphasizes that the smartphone creates an illusion of omnipotence: the user chooses what they want to see, without external constraint, reducing freedom to a simple click.

To delve deeper into these reflections and discover other practical tips, the full program remains available online.

Source: Couples, families: how the smartphone disrupts us, and how to remedy it?

This summary aims to be transparent and neutral. Disconnecto acts here as an observer of the digital landscape, without taking a stance. We invite you to consult the original source for a complete reading.