--- title: "Are You Tired of Being Phubbed? | Online Couples Therapy" url: https://onlinecouplescounselling.com/blog/what-is-marriage-counselling-blog description: "Tackle 'phubbing' in relationships – when phones come before partners. Learn how to set boundaries for a happier, healthier connection." lang: en-GB --- Image: Are You Tired of Being Phubbed? (https://rxvhnvwmfwrneowddnji.supabase.co/storage/v1/render/image/public/blog-images/imported/what-is-marriage-counselling-blog.jpg?width=1200&resize=contain&quality=80) Back to Blog (https://onlinecouplescounselling.com/blog) # Are You Tired of Being Phubbed? March 22, 2021 2 min read ## Phubbing in Relationships Relationships are often difficult enough but now there is a new obstacle getting in the way – known as “phubbing” – which is a merging of the words “phone” and “snubbing” ref; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phubbing The definition of phubbing is ‘snubbing someone in favour of a mobile phone’ Phubbing causes problems in romantic relationships when your partner ignores you or becomes more absorbed, mid-conversation, with their phone than they are with you. While phubbing can often happen quite innocently, such as checking Facebook at the dinner table, the constant use of smartphones in the presence of a romantic partner can undermine the relationship; making it feel as if someone’s partner is choosing their phone over them, leading to them feeling rejected. In fact, phubbing has become so common that a studies have found that it is now one of the biggest sources of conflicts in romantic relationships alongside arguments about children, money and sex and often a reason to bring couples to therapy (https://onlinecouplescounselling.com/blog/blog-online-couple-therapy). In a nutshell, nobody likes to be phubbed. It can lead us to feel that our partner doesn’t find us interesting enough and would rather be communicating with someone else. It can make us feel insecure about ourselves and uncertain about our relationship (https://onlinecouplescounselling.com/blog/relationship-difficulties-blog). Find a qualified therapist and book your first session (https://onlinecouplescounselling.com/find-your-therapist) whenever you feel ready. ### Setting boundaries So, if your goal is to have a happy, healthy relationship, it’s advisable to consistently put your partner before your phone, or at least set some boundaries over phone usage that is acceptable to you both. Agreeing as a couple as to how often you use your phones when you’re together, will help make you both feel valued in the relationship (https://onlinecouplescounselling.com/how-we-can-help). If you don’t put boundaries in place, you’re not going to have an opportunity to create a sense of ‘we’ and ‘us’ as a couple, and you’re going to feel like you’re available to everybody but each other. If you would like some help with setting boundaries within your relationship then contact us (https://onlinecouplescounselling.com/contact) at Online Couples Counselling for an appointment today – **Request an appointment** Ready to talk about are you tired of being phubbed?? Browse qualified, vetted therapists, see real-time availability, and book your first session in minutes - online or in-person. Find your therapist → (https://onlinecouplescounselling.com/find-your-therapist) No waiting lists · BACP & UKCP registered therapists · Confidential ### Ready to strengthen your relationship? Book a session with one of our qualified couples counsellors today. 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