How social media affects romantic relationships

When you are in a romantic relationship, you probably can’t stop thinking about your other half. You might text your significant other every hour, tag them in lovely Instagram posts and share lots of pictures with them. You might feel an instant rush when you receive a message from your sweetheart. But how does the use of social media contribute to the satisfaction within a relationship? Or can dissatisfaction also arise within a relationship through the use of social media? Let’s dive into this topic.  

People have individual desires to communicate with their partner and when these desires are met, they experience satisfaction. Couples experience the most satisfaction through social media when they can communicate easily. Social media makes couples able to easily share information and communicate with each other.  

Next to this, when people use multiple social media platforms, they boost or strengthen their existing relationships. In a new relationship, people can use these platforms to transform weak ties into strong ones. For example, lovebirds can send romantic messages through multiple social media platforms. It has been scientifically proven to be an excellent way of showing affection and love to your other half, which facilitates satisfaction.  

In addition to this, people also derive satisfaction from social media when their romantic partner shows a public display of love and affection on these platforms. An example you may be familiar with is posting a couple’s picture on Instagram. On top of that, people can use social media to emphasize the love in their relationship, which leads to more satisfaction.

How social media contributes to romantical dissatisfaction  

People could experience dissatisfaction when their partner frequently communicates with other online friends. For example, people become jealous when their significant others has had conversations with a potential second love interest on social media. Some people check what their partners are doing on social media platforms, hence serving as a direct way of monitoring them. This monitoring behavior sometimes brings some form of dissatisfaction in a romantic relationship.  

Moreover, when romantic partners frequently use different social media platforms, it heightens the chance of infidelity. Research has shown that some people have been involved in infidelity due to their frequency of using social media and interacting with specific online friends. Furthermore, social media and the use of multiple platforms can be a major cause of distraction in romantic relationships. You might recognize being irritated when your lover becomes too distracted and phubs you, which might end up in conflict.  

The use of multiple social media platforms can affect the satisfaction in a romantic relationship both positively and negatively. It is therefore advisable to use social media in moderation to satisfy your relationship needs.

Written by Sandra Pham

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