Cell Phone Mistakes that Could Ruin Your Relationship

It seems that nowadays, everyone from pre-teens to grandparents carry cell phones, but I can remember when that wasn't the case. In fact, until I was halfway through college, I had never dated a guy who carried a cell phone. While I longed at the time for an instant and constant line of communication, I found that when I finally had a boyfriend who carried a cell phone, a whole crop of corresponding issues came along with the territory. In fact, while cell phones can add an element of convenience to a relationship, they also have the potential to ruin relationships with (at least) these five mistakes:

1. Making it a higher priority. Cell phones are my husband's life. Granted, he is a cell phone sales representative. But that aside, he really enjoys monkeying around with "mobile devices." When I first met him, he was constantly texting, playing games, and checking his phone to see if he had any missed calls. That gave me the impression that the cell phone was more important than me, and it kept him distracted from our quality time, even if it was just habit. In a healthy relationship, a person should never play second fiddle to her significant other's cell phone. You should put your phones away while you're together. If he can't break his attachment to his phone, maybe you should break your attachment to him.

2. Sending a text to the wrong person. In relationships, we sometimes need to vent about our significant others. We can't all get along all the time, right? However, if you are going to complain about someone via text, make sure you don't make a Freudian slip and send that message to your significant other. The heart-wrenching moment you realize this has happened, innocent venting may have turned into a terminal confrontation. Double-check your text message "send to" field!

3. Going MIA. If your significant other is used to having instant access to you, and a time comes when he is not able to get through, problems might occur. Whether you accidentally let your battery die, get in an unexpected area of no service, leave your ringer off, or just plain ignore your phone for an extended period of time, don't be surprised if your significant other jumps to the worst possible conclusions. If you find yourself out of commission, try to contact your significant other in some other way (email or a friend's cell phone, for example) to let him know of the temporary lapse in communication. If you know you'll have these "outages" frequently - whether by choice or accident - set that expectation early in the relationship.

4. Personal conversations. Cell phones are great for quick messages or conversations, but sometimes people use them to communicate about much too serious things. Certain conversations (most, in my opinion) require face-to-face interaction. Make sure you and your significant other are on the same page about what sorts of communication should be off-limits for cell phones. Most importantly, avoid arguing via text messages at all costs!

5. Sharing a cell phone plan. Deciding to be on the same cell phone plan requires a lot more consideration than whether you'd like to call one another for free. Truly consider whether you're ready to enter into a contract with this person that comes along with financial responsibilities and a one- or two-year commitment. Not only could this prove to be too much strain on a relationship, it could also become one more thing to straighten out in the event of a breakup (as my husband sees far too often in his store).

Having access to your significant other via cell phone certainly has its perks, from random sweet text messages to emergency phone calls. However, if you're not careful, it can also cause disasters that might ultimately ruin your relationship. Remember to always favor in-person interaction - the better communication skills you develop with your significant other, the better you will be able to handle any unexpected cell phone snafus!