Phone Addiction

[Common Man]

Hi,
My wife is always on her phone. She is either on indiaforum, or chatting on her android phone with her friends (who are also indiaforum fans) or reading novels on phone.
I had gifted her an android phone on her last birthday. Since then, my married life has become hell.
Whether she is in toilet, or putting the kid to sleep, or being with other family members, she is always on phone typing something or reading something. It looks very disrespectful when she is on her phone when there are other people, specially elders, around.
She has greatly reduced her interest in household chores. Any work which are important, but not extremely essential, she does not do, instead she gets hooked to her phone. For example, Cleaning is important but not essential, so she does not do. Playing with the kid & teaching the kid is important, but not essential, so she does not do it.
When the kid wants to play with her, she puts him some games on laptop, thus, the kid is also becoming screen addicted.
Eventually, all such important things, I end up doing, otherwise when I tell her to address these things, she either makes excuses, or procrastinates infinitely or picks up a quarrel with me.
I am not against her using the phone, but because of her habit, the important family time and activities are getting compromised.
I have tried talking to her about her addiction, tried "no-phone" time, tried giving her more attention and affection, but nothing seem to work out.

I am greatly worried because I have to leave my important office and other important external household/paperwork activities and have to give my attention to these household things which my wife is very much capable of doing it. Due to this divided attention, my external life is getting impacted. Also, the family value fabric which is woven by the lady of the family, is getting tar tared.

Please help.

[Shweta Kale]

Have you tried having an actual fight with her? Sometimes its necessary... I think what you should do is send your child out with his grandparents, and when you have the house completely to yourself, talk to her in all seriousness that she needs to find a proper balance between her mobile time and her work. you better have some examples of work that she has procrastinated upon ready to give her an example of how things are getting so jumbled up. Don't accuse her, but be reasonable.. try and see if she has some point that hadnt occurred to you.. maybe she has too much work to do and gets too tired doing everything on her own..

show her some study that explains why too much screen time is bad for kids and ask her if she is going to be so self-absorbed that she is going to harm the development of her child?

end the discussion be saying that you are not in any way asking her to give up something that she obviously enjoys doing.. Instead, all you are asking is that she manage her time more effectively..

let us know what happens!
Hope this helps!