There’s a reason why dogs are considered our best friend. They’re cute, they’ll stick by you through thick and thin, they’re always energetic, and they’ll never judge you for all the horrible stuff you say or do.
But as it turns out, even our canine companions have a breaking point and it has everything to do with our relationship with phones.
According to the Metro, spending too much time on your phone is actually making your dog sad.
Oh god, don’t look at me like that…
Veterinary surgeon Iain Booth says that when you’re busy looking at memes you’re also damaging your emotional bond with your dog because they feel isolated and lonely by the lack of attention.
The reason for this stems from a dog’s biological and evolutionary hard wiring. Doggos are pack animals and look to humans for leadership and constant feedback. But by spending all your time on a phone rather than giving your dog some attention, you’re essentially leaving them rudderless and confused.
How this manifests depends on the dog. Some might put up with your nonsense and wait until you’re done Instagramming. Others might act out, become aggressive, or cause absolute havoc to get your attention. In fact, it can get so bad for some dogs that they may end up requiring antidepressants in order to get through your lack of attention to them (you jerk).
This whole thing with the phones also affects cats but nowhere near as much because they’re good at being independent and are too cool to let you know how they feel.
Being on your phone all the time may not be harming just your relationship with your pets either. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, people who use antidepressants may find that their drugs will become ineffective when in the presence of artificial light at night, such as the light from a phone screen.
So put that goddamn phone away and spend some quality time with your dog/cat because you’re only hurting them and yourself with all that texting and Redditing you do, you monsters.
Scrolling through GOAT is the exception though. That’s just fine and I’m sure your pets will want you to do that.