• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, January 3, 2011

On the surface, it looks like the cell phones tethered to so many of us may have finally delivered a knockout punch to true love: The latest survey from Staples says that 60% of small-business owners admit that they spend more time holding their phones than they do the hands of their loved ones. But the good news is that the majority of them feel technology also gives them the freedom to go home more, and better equips them to juggle both work and family.

Some 56% say they spend less time at their desk than they used, 52% say they are more comfortable vacationing because of their devices, versus 35% last year. And interestingly, 40% of the significant others included in the survey say they don't mind all that "phonemancing."

Still, they admit they are more or less enslaved to their devices: 43% say they work during time spent with family, and 68% rely on the same cell phone for both work and personal calls, so they don't feel that switching it off is an option.