A new poll has identified the most telling red flags that a romance may be running out of road, with fewer meaningful conversations emerging as the top sign the spark is fading.
According to the survey, this was followed by preferring to scroll through phones rather than talk to one another and retreating to separate rooms to watch TV. Additional warning signs included no longer doing fun activities together, sleeping in separate beds, and failing to make an effort with date nights.
Why people stay too long
Among those who admitted to staying in a romantic relationship longer than necessary, 63% did so because they hoped things would improve, while 33% were afraid of change. But this tendency to stay loyal to things that don't deliver anymore extends beyond relationships.
It turns out that many of us are just as likely to stay loyal to a clunky, outdated microwave as we are to a partner, holding onto things long after they've stopped delivering the goods. Nearly half (47%) have owned a microwave for longer than they were in a romantic relationship, and 36% confessed to keeping one despite it no longer working properly.
Celebrity backing and appliance loyalty
The study was commissioned by SharkNinja, which teamed up with Olivia Attwood, who shared a tongue-in-cheek video on her social media that starts like a sincere break-up discussion – before disclosing that she's actually addressing her microwave.
Olivia Attwood said: "The fact that so many people have owned a microwave for longer than a relationship shows just how attached we become to things we're familiar with."
"As much as I see the value in holding onto things that have served us for long periods of time, it's so important to upgrade certain elements of our lives."
Frustrations and break-up disputes
The study found microwave owners expressed similar reasons for staying put as they do in relationships. Among those hanging onto an old appliance, 59% said it was because it still worked, and 36% had just not got around to replacing it. But this leads to many people continuing to put up with common frustrations, such as unevenly cooked meals (16%), slow cooking times (15%), and crispy food losing its crunch (13%).
It also emerged many struggle to let go of all sorts of things long past their useful life, such as old chargers and cables (52%), clothes that no longer fit (52%), dated receipts and paperwork (46%), and birthday cards and handwritten notes (43%).
Appliances can also become a surprising source of conflict during break-ups, as 13% have argued with an ex-partner about who would keep household items. Televisions (43%), gaming consoles (29%), and microwaves (27%) were among the most disputed possessions. Meanwhile, 19% admitted they had kept an appliance following a split mainly because they did not want their ex-partner to have it.
Carolyn Anderson, from SharkNinja UK, which is marking the launch of its Ninja CRISPi Microwave, said: "There's something very British about putting up with something because it technically still works, even when we know it could be delivering much better results."
