If you’re guilty of paying more attention to your TikTok feed than your partner, you’re not alone.
Partnered Aussies now spend almost four hours a day on their phone, but just 19 minutes in physical contact with their partner — meaning their device gets 12 times the attention their other half does.
In fact, many Aussies claimed they were more likely to choose to stay up and scroll instead of opting for intimate moments such as going to bed at the same time as their partner (24%), having a proper conversation (23%), or initiating sex (12%).
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In direct response to this, Lovehoney, the leader is sexual wellness, is paying Australians to put their phones donw.
Yes, you heard that right.
The brand has partnered with Into The Wild Escapes to launch DND — Down N Dirty — a series of off-grid cabin stays where the less you use your phone, the less you pay.
Down N Dirty, a play on the Do Not Disturb phone setting, pays couples to put their phones aside and reclaim the attention their phones have been quietly stealing.
With 52 per cent of Australians saying that an off-grid escape with limited phone access would benefit their relationship, DND swaps connectivity for actual connection — and good behaviour is rewarded.
So how does it work?
Firstly, guests check into one of the partnered Into The Wild Escapes cabins, upon which point they screenshot their average daily screen time.
Their screen time is again screenshotted when they leave, and the bigger the percentage reduction, the bigger the discount Lovehoney offers on the stay.
Guests who cut their screen time by 50 per cent of more get one night of their stay for free.
Lovehoney are aiming to make it easy for Aussies.
Phones get swapped for a disposable camera and a journal, and every stay includes a Lovehoney Reconnect Kit (valued at over $250), sent to the couple before arrival.
The kits are designed to encourage exploration and pleasure without pressure.
No Wi-Fi, no scrolling, no excuses — just two people and however they choose to fill the time.
There are different kit options designed for a range of couples and preferences, built around top picks like the Lovehoney Pleasure Link Remote Control Couple’s Kit, the Lovehoney Rose Clitoral Suction Stimulator and the Lovehoney High Roller Remote Control Rotating Prostrate Massager, alongside lubricants, massage oil and a bondage kit in every box.
“Partnered Australians are now giving their phones almost four hours a day, and each other just 19 minutes of physical contact,” Lovehoney’s Sex and Relationships Expert Christine Rafe said.
“That gap doesn’t open up overnight. It creeps in through the scroll before bed, the phone on the dinner table, the quick check that turns into 20 minutes.
“The conversation about phone use and its impact comes up in most couples sessions at the clinic, and even in many individual sessions when exploring overall relational satisfaction, quality time, and sense of connection.”
She adds: “This is not new, but it seems that increasing situational stresses about the cost of living, as well as the general state of the world, are sending people further into doomscrolling or using phones to disconnect from life.
“When phones fill every gap in the day, the small moments of intimacy like a proper conversation, eye contact or a long slow hug, are the first to go. Ironically, these are exactly the things we need to soothe our stresses and ground us.”
Christine concludes: “What I love about DND is that it makes switching off feel like a reward rather than a punishment. You don’t need a week-long digital detox to feel the difference”.
DND cabins are bookable from 20 October here, with cabins in NSW, VIC, QLD, SA and WA.
Couples can book a stay, hand over their screen time, and find out what a night of undivided attention is actually worth.
