Close to 60 percent people pay more attention to phone on dates: study

New Delhi: Love may be blind, but the relationship with smartphones is reaching eye-popping proportions, with a report saying majority of people pay more attention to their devices than their partners on a date.

According to a study by chipmaker Intel, 57 per cent respondents in India said they have had to compete with their partner's device for attention on their first date.

In fact, 60 per cent felt their significant other paid more attention to their device when they were together one-on-one.

The global study titled 'Three's Company: Lovers, Friends and Devices' aims to understand the online behaviour of people and how it affects their relationships with friends and significant others.

The study involved 1,400 Indian adults who use an internet-connected device on a daily basis. The study also gains significance because India is the world's second largest Internet market after China.

The study found that on an average, adults in India spend more time online when they are home (43 per cent) than they do interacting with others face-to-face (40 per cent).

About 75 per cent of the adults reported getting into an argument with a friend, significant other, or family member over being on a device while together.

However, despite being displeased with their partner's device usage, 24 per cent respondents said they do not set rules about device usage when together. Only about 33 per cent claimed that they sometimes set device rules.

The report also found 46 per cent couples shared passwords to social media accounts, 38 per cent shared passwords to personal email accounts, and nearly 35 per cent adults said they shared their work specific devices and accounts with their significant other.

Intel suggested that people should ensure using long passwords including numbers, and lowercase and uppercase letters, as well as symbols to protect their devices from attacks.

"Also, we love our devices but it's important to disconnect every now and then to spend time with the important people in our lives like friends and family. Your social networks and mobile games will be right there waiting for you when you get back," it added.