Text during Sex? Hmm...

Remember all those “scary” predictions in movies of how one day our toasters, radios, TVs and computers would one day revolt against humankind and take over the planet? Remember how we laughed and said it was impossible for man-made devices to overrule us and run our lives? What if I told you that our lives are indeed run by the devices in our home. Well, one in particular: our cell/smartphones. 

I read an interesting article on Mashable about how cellphone addictions have led Gen Y to use their phones during, ahem¸ inappropriate texting times. According to a survey done recently by Retrevo (a consumer electronics shopping and review site), one in 10 people under 25 think sensending text messages is okay during sex! . In the same demographic, a quarter of people thought it okay to text while on the toilet and 50% thought it okay to text while eating.


Where do I even begin?

I understand the importance of having a cellphone on you at all times. Really, I do. I will admit, I am addicted to my CrackBerry, and I’ll even go so far as to admit that I’ve checked my email while at the dinner table (much to the dismay of my mother. Sorry Mama.) and I’ve texted a couple people while grabbing lunch with a friend (in my defense, I was having a party that night and people were texting me to find out the address, time, etc.). So okay, I'll let the ‘texting while eating’ excuse slide.

The ‘texting while on the toilet’ is still a bit iffy. First of all, you’re touching your phone while on the toilet and doing God knows what, but I’m not going to get into the germs part of this. But what happened to just sitting on the toilet and flipping through a magazine? Or just thinking? Or for argument’s sake, just enjoying the only silence in your day (other than sleeping).

But really, what is so important that people feel the need to text WHILE HAVING SEX?! Let’s step back a second and really break this down. You and your partner are engaged in a very private, intimate, “just between us” moment, and you’re going to ruin that because your phone beeped or rang or whatever, and you’re going to STOP, pick up your phone to READ the message then RESPOND?! Or, you’re having sex and something’s popped into your mind while having sex (how you’re even thinking of something else is just beyond me) and you decide that at that very moment you need to text this information/thought out to someone?! Some will even TWEET. 

Is anyone else as flabbergasted by this concept as I am? Talk about letting your device run your life. You can’t even have 10 minutes to yourself (and your partner) without the need to text someone else (that's another thing...why are you even THINKING of someone else while having sex with your partner?). And I understand that Gen Y (which I am a part of) has grown up in the heart of the technological boom, and Gen Z knows nothing outside of technology, but where do we draw the line? Does the rapid evolution of technology mean the death of social etiquette? Or worse yet, the death of intimacy?

There’s a constant desire to be connected at all times and cellphones have allowed us to reach those six degrees in between, and there’s no denying the power of cell/smartphones in our lives. But we’re the ones with the brains and the intelligence and the real control over our lives. Don’t let your phone dictate what you should be doing with your time. Put your phone away for at least an hour a day to eat with your family, take your dog for a walk, exercise or read, and for sake of intimacy and the respect of your partner, TURN OFF your bloody phone during sex.

And I promise you, for that one hour, your phone will be just as glad to have a break from you as you are having text-free sex.