12 ways your smartphone is making your life worse

• The smartphone has changed our lives for the better in some ways, but it definitely has its drawbacks, too.
• For instance, some research has found that smartphone use may contribute to sleep issues and depression.
• Below, a clinical psychologist weighs in about the negative impacts smartphones can have on our lives.

 Your smartphone may help you stay in touch with family and friends worldwide, meet dating and marriage partners, and direct you when we’re lost, but there are also downsides. Yes, there areways your smartphone is making your life worse.

Of course, one primary downside of them is their addictive nature. A few years ago, I became soaddicted to texting that I decided to give it up — first for Lent, then forever. I made it my mission to call people if I wanted to speak to them or, better yet, to make plans to see them in real life.

I soon learned the value of a natural back-and-forth conversation on the phone, and that nothing could replace face-to-face communication.

Dr. Suzana E. Flores, clinical psychologist and author of “Facehooked: How Facebook Affects Our Emotions, Relationships, and Lives,” agrees that smartphones are useful in numerous ways, but can also cause friction in our lives.

“Of course, there’s the addiction aspect — they’re always within arm’s reach,” she told Business Insider. “We should continue to enjoy our digital connections, but second only to our offline realities. Just as with anything else, too much of a good thing may not be a good thing after all.”

Here are 12 ways, from an expert, that smartphones could be making your life worse.

SEE ALSO: I stopped using my phone for 2 hours before bed, and it had a more powerful effect than I expected

1. Smartphones contribute to sleep issues

Research has found that using your smartphone before bed can make it harder to fall asleep due to the blue light it emits, as Business Insider previously reported.

“Not only does the bright light emitted by digital devices impact our sleep, but social media content distracts and entertains us, too,” Dr. Flores said.

2. They can ruin romantic relationships

Smartphones could also be damaging people’s romantic relationships.

It’s probably happened to you at some point — the person you’re on a date with looks at their phone more than at you.

“This sends a message thattheir phone is more important than their partner,” Dr. Flores said. “When a partner feels dismissed or unappreciated, they will eventually choose someone else who values their company.”

Furthermore, some couples are spending more time engaged with their phones than with their significant others, which can take a toll on intimacy. “As humans, we give and receive information through our five senses — we need to feel the warmth of our lover’s embrace, we need to smell the roses (so to speak), and we emotionally benefit from spending physical time with loved ones in real-life situations,” Dr. Flores said. “Such experiences simply cannot be gained through digital communication.”

3. They can take a toll on friendships

I used to have a friend who checked her phone so much when we were together that I finally told her she had to choose — me or her phone.

“Friends are foregoing manners and proper social etiquette because of their smartphones,” Dr. Flores said. “The dopamine hits we receive every time we get a push notification may be to blame, so much so that many of us have convinced ourselves that our push notifications are more important than who or what is around us.”