There are few things more enjoyable than going out with friends or your partner.

For most people, that means having drinks or a meal, and that usually means having their phones sitting on the table, but according to research reported by a TikToker, that alone can really cause problems.

She explains, “I think this is the best piece of relationship advice you will ever hear.”

Wow, that’s bold.

Then she explains, “For years, I had this harmless (on the surface) habit where I would put my phone face down on the table everywhere that I went. Out with friends, on coffee dates, on a night out with my husband, there it was like another guest at dinner. Then, I heard about this study that made me rethink every conversation that I have had in the last 10 years.”

Wow, this must be big.

She says, “Researchers have found that just having your phone out on the table, even if we are not touching it, makes it harder to focus. It makes us less likely to enjoy our time together, even if we feel like we are paying attention to each other.”

That is a bold claim, but it makes sense.

She concludes, “Once I learned that, I couldn’t stop thinking about what this tiny automatic habit was doing to our relationships. If you want to instantly feel more connected, try putting your phone out of sight.”

That is good advice, and at least worth giving a try.

Everyone could benefit from being more present in the moment.

You can see the full video below.

@lizmoody

Have you heard of Face-Down Phone Theory? The science is fascinating 👇 – a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that technology at the table caused people to feel more distracted and less socially engaged, leading to a decrease in enjoyment  – a study by the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin found the mere presence of one’s smartphone impairs cognitive capability and functioning—even if the people at the table FEEL like they’re giving their full attention  This honestly shocked me. We experience these results whether or not the phone is face up—simply the presence of the device is enough to pull our attention, impacting our relationships and our conversations.  Want more tips for improving conversations and your relationships? I share 10 more totally doable things that will actually help in today’s episode of The Liz Moody Podcast: “Hate Small Talk? 11 Ways to Make Any Conversation Actually Feel Good”  Search “small talk Liz Moody” wherever you listen to pods!  And send this to that person who always leaves their phone on the table!! Let’s use what we know about the science to STOP impeding the REASON we’re really here—it’s not to respond to dings and pings, but to truly CONNECT.

♬ original sound – Liz Moody

Not surprisingly, the commenters agree.

This person says they may as well put it away if it is face down anyway.

This commenter makes a really good point.

Me too. Me too.

Just put the phone away!

Now that you’ve read that story, check out this one about a delivery driver who took a $400 grocery order back because she wasn’t given a tip.