In this chaotic world, personal space is vital, but it shouldn't come at the expense of intimacy. Every person wants to spend real quality time with their partner but taking your phone to bed may interrupt your healthy intimate/sex life. Ekta Dixit, mental health professional & relationship coach, says, “It is essential to spend quality time to strengthen your relationship.” What is parallel scrolling? According to Radhika Mohta, a matchmaker and relationship coach, parallel-scrolling means when one person is physically present somewhere but is mentally somewhere else, it can be on their phone, tablet, laptop, or any other device.m“When partners in their personal space are busy scrolling their phones”, said Dixit How does it affect relationships? Mohta said, “As a human beings, we seek attention. Regardless of sex, a person’s bare minimum expectation is that you are listening to them." “Parallel scrolling leads to tension and conflict between partners because they feel disconnected in physical space, which creates distance at the emotional level,” said Dixit. Dixit further added that it leads to comparison and a sense of inadequacy in the relationship as while scrolling a partner might see romantic content and start comparing their relationship with someone else relation. “Parallel scrolling made you half-mindedly present somewhere, and divided your attention. In such a case, the other partner might feel that he/she is not getting valued or heard. All this leads to a lack of communication in the relationship and partners start making assumptions in their minds”, mentioned Mohta. This passive scrolling in personal space may be a reason that partners neglect important information. This habit not only takes a toll on mental health but physically too, because one person in a relationship may be feeling physically intimate but another one is busy scrolling their social media, Dixit added. How to let go of it? Mohta advised creating a mindful environment, whenever you are in your personal space don’t bring your phone into your bedroom or put it in DND mode. Set boundaries, and fix your digital time. Be mentally present where are you physically so that the other person in the relationship feels valued. To maintain a healthy intimate relationship, Dixit added, don’t scroll social media two hours before going to sleep to spend quality time. "Share highlights of the day with your partner. Partners may incentivise it, that if any of them break the rule will have to face punishment and that punishment could be subjective."
