Nothing can ruin a date faster than someone who looks at their phone. You do not want to be the person constantly looking at their phone, neglecting their date. It seems obvious that you shouldn’t do this, but some people still need to be told not to check their phones when on a date.
Checking Your Phone on a Date
It is rude to check your phone on a date because it gives the other person the impression that you are not interested and shows a lack of respect. You should never check your phone on a date to ensure that your date feels you are giving them your full attention.
I never look at my phone when on a date. I keep it in my pocket and do not take it out. This is just basic common sense and good manners. In fact, I don’t look at my phone much in my life, but that’s a different story.
People spend way too much time on their phones and make them too important an aspect of their lives. If there is anywhere that you should never check your phone, it’s on a date.
Absolutely Do Not Check Your Phone on a First Date
First dates are really important, and you want to make a good impression. Checking your phone is definitely going to make the wrong impression. If a girl is on a date with you and you keep looking at your phone, there is a high likelihood that she will complain about you to her friends tomorrow. You do not want to be that guy. How do you think it makes your date feel if you are continually distracted and looking at your phone? This is not going to make a good first impression.
You should put yourself in the other person’s shoes to change how you see the situation. If you went on a date and they were looking at their phones, wouldn’t that concern you? It most certainly would concern me. You should have high standards for the people around you and for yourself. I think it is a very simple gesture to commit to giving your date your full attention and putting away your phone.
First dates are especially important because this is a first impression. You really want to do everything you can to make a good first impression. So please, no phone on a first date unless it’s an emergency, and no checking how many likes your last post got is not an emergency. If you want to step up your first date game, I have another post you can look at with 10 Things a Man Should Do on a First Date.
Don’t Take Your Phone Out on a Date
Using your phone on a date is just disrespectful. The best strategy is to keep it in your pocket the entire time. If you put it on the table, you might be tempted to use it, but if it never comes out, there is less chance of distraction. Also, putting your phone out signals to your date that you might use it. Just keep it away, and everything will be fine.
In a study published in the Journal of Economic Psychology (June 2024) titled Smartphone Use Decreases Trustworthiness of Strangers, Sandy Campbell and Uri Gneezy (the researchers) concluded that using your phone will decrease how much others trust you.
I think that trust is essential in any setting, but most importantly, on a first date. Many of us would agree that trust is one of the most crucial factors of dating.
Not checking your phone keeps you present in the moment and interested in what is going on. That is what you are supposed to do on a date. You should want your date to feel good about how you treat them.
Using a Phone at Dinner Makes People Unhappy
Let’s look at one more study on phone usage by Ryan Dwyer, Elizabeth Dunn, and Kostadin Kushlev. This is a fascinating study about using your phone at dinner. The study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology (2018) is called Smartphone Use Undermines Enjoyment of Face-to-Face Social Interactions. They had people go to a restaurant where some people kept their phones on the table, and others put their phones away. The groups where the phone was out on the table reported higher levels of distraction and lower levels of enjoyment than the others who had kept the phone away the entire time. The authors of the post said, “This research suggests that despite their ability to connect us to others across the globe, phones may undermine the benefits we derive from interacting with those across the table.”
I think this is such an obvious conclusion that we all already know. So I ask why do people keep looking at their phone when out to dinner? Please stop doing this. Stop taking your phone out on a date. Try to focus and just enjoy being social in real life.
What Does Checking Your Phone Say About You
Checking your phone can give off many wrong impressions. It can give your date the idea you aren’t interested, are bored, or, even worse, texting someone else. Constantly being on your phone is a sign of poor impulse control, and you may just not care. Apathy is not an attractive trait. It also indicates poor manners, and I think we can agree that it’s better to be polite than rude.
Keeping your phone in your pocket and not checking it signals that you are interested and focused. It tells the other person that you take them seriously and care about what they have to say.
Make a Good Impression By Not Using Your Phone on a Date
Taking out your phone while someone else is speaking screams disinterest and boredom. You do not want to give off those signals.
The most important thing I can say about a first date is that you should try really hard to just not mess it up. If you simply don’t ruin the date, you will be way ahead of all the other guys who do. Looking at your phone is an excellent way to screw up a date. So please don’t do it. Show your date the respect they deserve. Now, go out on a date and keep your phone in your pocket the whole time.
