Facebook and Romantic Relationships: Intimacy and Couple Satisfaction Associated with Online Social Network Use

Abstract

Online social networks, such as Facebook, have gained immense popularity and potentially affect the way people build and maintain interpersonal relationships. The present study sought to examine time spent on online social networks, as it relates to intimacy and relationship satisfaction experienced in romantic relationships. Results did not find relationships between an individual's usage of online social networks and his/her perception of relationship satisfaction and intimacy. However, the study found a negative relationship between intimacy and the perception of a romantic partner's use of online social networks. This finding may allude to an attributional bias in which individuals are more likely to perceive a partner's usage as negative compared to their own usage. Additionally, it was found that intimacy mediates the relationship between online social network usage and overall relationship satisfaction, which suggests that the level of intimacy experienced in a relationship may serve as a buffer that protects the overall level of satisfaction.

“We Agree and Now Everything Goes My Way”: Consensual Sexual Nonmonogamy, Extradyadic Sex, and Relationship Satisfaction

“…18,25 These individuals may not establish intimacy with the extradyadic partner and protect their satisfaction in the primary relationship. 49 Therefore, being registered on Second Love and engaging in extradyadic sex is not perceived as a sign of relationship problems, or as a need for intimacy that is not being met within the primary relationship. Having such agreement with the partner, extradyadic sex can increase personal well-being and happiness 21 and increase relationship satisfaction.…”

Explicitly Pressing Send: Impact of Sexting on Relationship Satisfaction

“…The use of social networks and the increase of communication devices have given way to an influx of non-traditional relationship communication (Hand, Thomas, Buboltz, Deemer, & Buyanjargal, 2013). Researchers identified many young people have a strong positive emotional tie with receiving a text message as it can be an indicator that they are liked among peers and are part of a social peer group (Cupples & Thompson, 2010).…”

The Contribution of Attachment and Social Media Practices to Relationship Development

“…Several investigations involving Facebook have been published in psychology and human behavior journals. These studies examined the relationship between Facebook usage and (a) well‐being (Kalpidou, Costin, & Morris, ), (b) shyness (Orr et al, ), (c) emotional and cognitive responses to being unfriended on Facebook (Bevan, Pfyl, & Barclay, ), (d) gender differences within relationship status (Fox & Warber, ), (e) jealousy and relationship satisfaction (Elphinston & Noller, ), and (f) intimacy (Hand, Thomas, Buboltz, Deemer, & Buyanjargal, ). Nevertheless, none of these studies examined the correlation between social media and relationship development, a primary focus of our investigation.…”