Dealing with roommates can be challenging due to the numerous potential disagreements that can arise.
One common issue among roommates is a lack of hygiene. Another issue can be when one roommate “borrows” things without permission. You were lucky enough not to have these problems with your roommate, but you do have a problem with the noise they make.
Maybe your roommate doesn’t throw a party, but the constant noise from their phone is extremely distracting too.
Why does it bother you that your roommate is always on the phone? Because they are too noisy, they talk loudly about private things you don’t want to hear, or when you want to talk about something important, they stare at the phone and don’t listen.
Are you exaggerating? Your roommate can be on the phone all they want; it’s none of your business.
But when they disturb you with noise or are too distracted to listen to you about important issues, then it concerns you.
To help you manage your roommate’s behavior, we will discuss it in detail and explore strategies for addressing it.
How Does it Bother You That Your Roommate is Constantly on The Phone?
Your roommate can do whatever they want in your shared apartment if they don’t disturb you.
However, when your roommate is always on the phone, it can become a significant source of annoyance and disruption. Here’s how:
1. Noise and Distraction
It all depends on what kind of apartment you and your roommate live in.
There is a personal space, and there is a space that you share.
Your roommate can be on the phone as long as they want in their personal space, as long as they don’t disturb you. However, you cannot concentrate on anything because of the constant noise.
Frequent phone conversations, notifications, and media playback can create constant background noise, making it difficult to concentrate or relax.
It can be difficult to get rest when your roommate spends a lot of time talking on the phone throughout the day and night.
Also, they love to have their phone turned up to max volume when checking social networks. The whole day long, you must listen to the same annoying sounds of Instagram reels or TikToks. You annoy yourself when you find yourself humming those stupid trending songs.
Suppose you and your roommate sleep in the same room. The frustration is even more significant in that case because they receive notifications from all possible apps, especially at night. How often have you told your roommate to set their phone on silent before sleeping?
Concentrating on studying or finding a peaceful environment to rest in this atmosphere is difficult.
2. You Don’t Want to Listen to Your Roommate’s Private Things
In terms of privacy, you are the type of person who wants to keep things private. You don’t like to overshare things, especially with someone you only live with temporarily.
Your roommate is the complete opposite of that!
You unintentionally become privy to their entire private life due to their habit of speaking loudly on the phone.
Your roommate doesn’t mind that you hear all the gossip and private things from their lives and even from others because their phone is always on speaker.
It even happens that you frequently drop into FaceTime or Zoom calls because your roommate is not paying attention to it, even though it is highly uncomfortable for you.
Of course, you’re uncomfortable with people you don’t know watching you in your apartment because your roommate has to make video calls.
3. Your Roommate Doesn’t Listen to You Because They’re Always on The Phone
How close should you really be with your roommate? You don’t have to be friends, and you don’t have to talk all day, that’s for sure.
However, when you live together with someone, there must be at least some communication because you share a common space and responsibilities around it.
It is necessary to talk sometime about potential repairs in the apartment, hygiene habits, and similar topics. You expect your roommate to listen to you and to come to an agreement together to make your life together as pleasant as possible.
Your roommate seems too distracted by their phone to give you their full attention, so you only receive a nod. It appears that they are not truly listening to you. You are highly annoyed by people with this rude habit of looking at their phones while talking to someone.
You have noticed that your roommate is addicted to their phone. They spend a lot of time talking, checking social media, and even bringing it to the bathroom to watch videos while doing the number two.
It’s all their business, but you live in a shared space, and they must get involved. There is no point in having all the responsibilities fall on you.
How to Deal With a Roommate Who’s Always on the Phone?
Living with a roommate can be challenging, and some general rules exist for dealing with roommate problems.
We will concentrate on this specific case of a roommate addicted to the phone:
1. Explain How Their Constant Phone Usage Affects You and Your Shared Living Environment
The roommate will have to put down their phone and listen to you this time.
Keep a calm but direct attitude and explain in detail what bothers you about their phone use.
You are bothered by noise, disturbance of privacy, and their absence when it comes to obligations regarding the apartment.
Despite your aversion to arguing and preference for avoiding conflicts, you must share this with them.
Remember, if you go into an argument with conflict in your mind, that’s what will happen.
2. Set Boundaries but Be Respectful
As far as considering setting boundaries, you have to keep in mind that you have no right to prevent your roommate from using their phone as much as they want.
They can use the phone all day if that is their choice. But they can’t bother you with that.
This means you can agree on a space in the apartment where there is no loud talking or music allowed. Additionally, you can decide on a specific time in the evening when the noise should stop.
Notifications during the night? The least your roommate can do is turn off the sounds on the phone during the night if you sleep in the same room.
One additional tip is headphones. Suggest that your roommate use headphones while watching Youtube videos during the night.
If you can’t change your roommate’s behavior and you can’t change the apartment right now, you can use noise-cancellation headphones.
In The End
Living with a roommate has a lot of ups and downs. It is essential to maintain mutual respect and understanding.
You have a specific case of a roommate who disturbs you with his phone.
While this may seem harmless to some, it can be highly frustrating.
Address the problem and tell your roommate they should stop disturbing your peace with their phone.
If you don’t do that, the only thing we can advise you to do is to get those noise-cancellation headphones.