Looking at your devices while watching TV with significant other (1 Viewer)

[SFBayDuck]

Interesting that a couple of you have also called out the ADHD aspect of this for our wives. I wouldn't think it would be that common.

Now did ADHD cause the device behavior or did the devices lead to increased ADHD behavior?

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

TV time is dumb unwind time

depends but mostly yeah. Wife and I like to watch doccies and sciencey stuff.

 

[JohnnyU]

I'm guilty of this on waiver wire Wednesday between 8:00 pm CT and around 8:15 pm. CT. We usually start watching stuff together at 7:00 pm every night, with one being a movie on Saturday night.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

My wife will watch tv while on her tablet. I cannot understand this behavior. If I'm watching tv, it is because I am interested in what I'm watching. Sometimes when she is watching tv/streaming, she will get up and go into the kitchen for something. I ask her, do you want me to pause this? She'll say, no, I'm ok.

This is beyond me.

My wife does this too. The part about getting up to go into the kitchen and I do the same thing and ask her should I pause it, and she gives the same answer.

Same. Very odd. I still pause it

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

My wife will watch tv while on her tablet. I cannot understand this behavior. If I'm watching tv, it is because I am interested in what I'm watching. Sometimes when she is watching tv/streaming, she will get up and go into the kitchen for something. I ask her, do you want me to pause this? She'll say, no, I'm ok.

This is beyond me.

My wife does this too. The part about getting up to go into the kitchen and I do the same thing and ask her should I pause it, and she gives the same answer.

Do we have the same wife.....

 

[JohnnyU]

My wife will watch tv while on her tablet. I cannot understand this behavior. If I'm watching tv, it is because I am interested in what I'm watching. Sometimes when she is watching tv/streaming, she will get up and go into the kitchen for something. I ask her, do you want me to pause this? She'll say, no, I'm ok.

This is beyond me.

My wife does this too. The part about getting up to go into the kitchen and I do the same thing and ask her should I pause it, and she gives the same answer.

Do we have the same wife.....

I might be interested in a swap. Send pics. ......jk

 

[El Floppo]

TV time is dumb unwind time

depends but mostly yeah. Wife and I like to watch doccies and sciencey stuff.

CHECK OUT THE BRAINS ON BRAD

 

[JohnnyU]

Thinking back to before the internet, people would probably be reading a book, newspaper, or magazine while watching TV, but I don't think that was common.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Interesting that a couple of you have also called out the ADHD aspect of this for our wives. I wouldn't think it would be that common.

Now did ADHD cause the device behavior or did the devices lead to increased ADHD behavior?

Well, I’ve been married a long time. And pre-devices, my wife was capable of watching a 30-min tv show. Now, it’s possible that she wasn’t really focused on those shows even way back when, but the devices certainly haven’t helped when combined with what I believe has always been some element of underlying ADHD.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Thinking back to before the internet, people would probably be reading a book, newspaper, or magazine while watching TV, but I don't think that was common.

Some people like to eat a pastrami sandwich while having the secks……

 

[JohnnyU]

Thinking back to before the internet, people would probably be reading a book, newspaper, or magazine while watching TV, but I don't think that was common.

Some people like to eat a pastrami sandwich while having the secks……

TV Dinners. I remember them fondly, along with that tray stand.

 

[Terminalxylem]

wife is ADHD so she has an iPad open, phone on her lap and the tv on all the same time... 95% of the time.

my kids are the same way.

My wife and kids are also like this. Wife and daughter both say it is because they have ADHD and thus are great at multitasking. My observation is that they are pretty bad at it. I keep that view to myself (now).

ADHD does not make one better at multi-tasking. On the contrary, it makes multitasking more difficult, and those with ADHD tend to do worse as a result.

 

[JohnnyU]

wife is ADHD so she has an iPad open, phone on her lap and the tv on all the same time... 95% of the time.

my kids are the same way.

My wife and kids are also like this. Wife and daughter both say it is because they have ADHD and thus are great at multitasking. My observation is that they are pretty bad at it. I keep that view to myself (now).

ADHD does not make one better at multi-tasking. On the contrary, it makes multitasking more difficult, and those with ADHD tend to do worse as a result.

This couldn’t be more true. My granddaughter was diagnosed when she was 7. If she has too much going on it affected her ability to do any of it. We raised her from 4 years old. She is 25 now.

Edit to add: People throw around acronyms like ADHD like they used to do with Bipolar.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I don't do that but then again we don't watch shows together. She knows by now I'm not interested in what she watches so she doesn't bother asking.

We did watch Ted Lasso together. All devices were down.

This is us. 90% of the time I am watching movies or a show she doesn't care about so she will fart around on her phone. If she starts getting interested or if it's a show we watched together, it wouldn't happen.

I hate my phone and try to use it as little as possible, so I am easily irritated when people are on them at dinner, at concerts, whatever.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

wife is ADHD so she has an iPad open, phone on her lap and the tv on all the same time... 95% of the time.

my kids are the same way.

My wife and kids are also like this. Wife and daughter both say it is because they have ADHD and thus are great at multitasking. My observation is that they are pretty bad at it. I keep that view to myself (now).

ADHD does not make one better at multi-tasking. On the contrary, it makes multitasking more difficult, and those with ADHD tend to do worse as a result.

Oh, I’m aware. I’ve even shared the research with said family members previously…..

Edit in reply to Johnny: my wife and daughter have both been diagnosed ADHD, and both exhibit the markers…..

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Thinking back to before the internet, people would probably be reading a book, newspaper, or magazine while watching TV, but I don't think that was common.

I have no form of ADHD, but I used to do needlework while watdching a lot of TV shows. I have friends who crochet or quilt while doing that. Not a problem.

Shows with a major visual component need to be watched, so no needlework.

 

[snogger]

My wife wants me to watch a show on TV with her, but then has her nose in her IPAD during the show. That irritates me. Do you do this when you’re supposed to be watching a show with someone? Or do both of you do it? Does it irritate you when someone does this, or is it something that should be ignored? I’m not saying I never do it, because I will glance at the score of Sunday night football, or Monday night football, but to me that isn’t as bad as perusing vacation rentals, but maybe it is and I don’t have room to complain.

Unfortunately, I've just had to get used to it. My wife very rarely puts her phone down. No idea what the bleep she finds on Facebook that she can scroll and scroll for hours
I did get mad at her once when we were at a theater, and she was reading a text that came in.
Told her it was rude, and if she couldn't help herself, then turn it off.

 

[UncleZen]

Both wife and I play on tablets while watching TV. When it's dinner time, whether at home or out, all devices are put away.

 

[BeTheMatch]

Both wife and I play on tablets while watching TV. When it's dinner time, whether at home or out, all devices are put away.

Same for us

 

[JohnnyU]

Both wife and I play on tablets while watching TV. When it's dinner time, whether at home or out, all devices are put away.

If being honest, what percentage of the show do you feel you miss?

 

[mr. furley]

wife is ADHD so she has an iPad open, phone on her lap and the tv on all the same time... 95% of the time.

my kids are the same way.

My wife and kids are also like this. Wife and daughter both say it is because they have ADHD and thus are great at multitasking. My observation is that they are pretty bad at it. I keep that view to myself (now).

ADHD does not make one better at multi-tasking. On the contrary, it makes multitasking more difficult, and those with ADHD tend to do worse as a result.

she will either be 1000000000% dialed in to one and not at all focused on anything else, or scattered around not paying attention to any of them either.

 

[UncleZen]

Both wife and I play on tablets while watching TV. When it's dinner time, whether at home or out, all devices are put away.

If being honest, what percentage of the show do you feel you miss?

It all depends on the show. If I'm watching MN Football, there's more commercials or time not playing than action so I don't miss anything. Other times, the TV is just background noise and I'm not paying attention at all.

 

[hagmania]

The vast majority of television bores me to tears.

I’m watching true crime with mrs. hags right now.

We do have shows that we agree are “no phone” shows. But binge fodder? Phones, tablet, laptop, art, chores it’s all fair game.

It’s our form of parallel play.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

The vast majority of television bores me to tears.

I’m watching true crime with mrs. hags right now.

We do have shows that we agree are “no phone” shows. But binge fodder? Phones, tablet, laptop, art, chores it’s all fair game.

It’s our form of parallel play.

Nice way of putting it. I hadn't thought about it that way.

 

[JohnnyU]

Both wife and I play on tablets while watching TV. When it's dinner time, whether at home or out, all devices are put away.

If being honest, what percentage of the show do you feel you miss?

It all depends on the show. If I'm watching MN Football, there's more commercials or time not playing than action so I don't miss anything. Other times, the TV is just background noise and I'm not paying attention at all.

What’s the point to background noise? If it’s playing on the internet you’re interested in then why the TV? Talking about tv shows or movies, not sports.

 

[Eephus]

Not a problem unless she's watching videos with the sound turned up

 

[steelerfan1]

It bugs me, especially if she asked what happened, or she made me change the game to “watch a show”…

 

[the moops]

We don't really watch TV together. We will once a week watch a movie as a family, and then occasionally wife and I will lay in bed and watch something on our laptop. But otherwise we aren't watching stuff.

 

[UncleZen]

Both wife and I play on tablets while watching TV. When it's dinner time, whether at home or out, all devices are put away.

If being honest, what percentage of the show do you feel you miss?

It all depends on the show. If I'm watching MN Football, there's more commercials or time not playing than action so I don't miss anything. Other times, the TV is just background noise and I'm not paying attention at all.

What’s the point to background noise? If it’s playing on the internet you’re interested in then why the TV? Talking about tv shows or movies, not sports.

I'm not watching things on my tablet, I'm just reading. If I want to watch things, such as youtube, I do that on the TV. Some of the shows we watch on TV are things like the Masked Singer, or Master Chef. I don't need to pay attention to all of the details. I read on my tablet and watch TV when it matters. If I'm watching shows that require more attention, I put the tablet down and watch. It's not that complicated.