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I love my phone as much as the next person. The convenience of being able to check your emails, text your friends and family, create a new group on WhatsApp, see what’s going on through the ever-growing social media networks, pay for a coffee, browse the internet, add a new app, take photos, Skype, listen to music, watch films, read books, play games, check the headlines, oh, and you can make a phone call too… the list goes on. They’re great and, in my opinion, a way of the world today.

I’m sure you’ve seen a ‘but’ hurtling towards you since the opening line and here it is…

I recently had a fantastic holiday with my partner and, among other things, the food and drink was wonderful. Being a bit of a ‘foodie’, having multiple restaurants to choose from was a welcome addition to the seven-day break.

Now, here is where I struggle with phones. My partner and I do our best to leave our phones in the room/pocket when out for dinner, be that at home or on holiday. There may be a photo opportunity as an exception and this doesn’t last for more than a snap. The phones are returned and a face-to-face conversation continues. It seems; however, that we are in the minority.

Throughout the holiday and particularly in the restaurants, the amount of couples who spent their ‘romantic’ dinner for two fixated on their individual phones was fascinating – seriously – you’re with humans now, put the phone down.

Some of these people were newly-weds on honeymoon; ‘a match-made in heaven’ or perhaps just the ‘Cloud’. Has their relationship got longevity, I wonder. I thought what can possibly be more important than chatting to your other-half, you know, the one you chose to go on holiday with? Are the people being tagged on Facebook or Instagram whilst haphazardly trying to break the bread with the one hand and eye that’s not managing the phone, more of a priority than the person sitting opposite? The beautiful photo that the waiter kindly took (whose name was overlooked due to wanting to get the phone back and critique his photography skills) doesn’t really need to be shared instantly, it can keep until after dinner. The funny clips that invariably involve a cat (why?), or near-death experience for someone are being watched independently on YouTube before the starter’s served, probably aren’t that funny. And should said clip form the base to the conversation when the phone is dared to be left for two minutes so both pieces of cutlery can be used?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for progress and this technology is seriously smart, as the generic device name suggests. I enjoy posting/liking/sharing and all that too, but for me, there’s a time and a place. Close friends and family in my life are far more interesting than the latest from the other side of the screen.