Romantic relationship-oriented Facebook activities and the satisfaction of belonging needs.

Abstract

Facebook plays a role in the development and maintenance of romantic relationships. Theoretically, individuals are motivated to use Facebook in their relationships to increase feelings of belongingness, which is a fundamental human need. Yet, past studies have neither examined the perceptions of Facebook's influence on increasing closeness in romantic relationships, nor simultaneously examined a wide range of Facebook behaviors that involve romantic partners. Using a belongingness/connection framework, 2 studies examined associations between romantic relationship-oriented Facebook activities, relationship satisfaction, and the perceived effects of Facebook on relationships. Study 1 (N ϭ 93) and Study 2 (N ϭ 255) both illustrated that relationship satisfaction was positively associated with publicly displaying one's relationship on Facebook but was negatively correlated with displaying more affection on Facebook than the participants normally display offline (excessive displays). Study 2 showed that public displays and private communication on Facebook were positively associated with the perception that Facebook had improved the relationship, and excessive displays of the relationship were perceived as beneficial only for those reporting low relationship satisfaction. Additionally, for those who experienced low levels of jealousy, monitoring was associated with perceptions that Facebook had helped their relationships. For those who experienced high levels of jealousy on Facebook, monitoring was unrelated to perceptions that Facebook improved the relationship. Findings provide evidence that feelings of disconnection from one's partner could motivate excessive relationship displays on Facebook and that the perceived effect of Facebook on romantic relationships depends on how Facebook is used, which could promote or hinder relationship quality. Public Policy Relevance StatementTo experience a sense of belonging, individuals engage in a wide range of behaviors on Facebook concerning their romantic relationships. The primary findings of this study show that public displays and private communication on Facebook increase closeness in romantic relationships, whereas other behaviors on Facebook, such as monitoring or excessive displays, can either promote or hinder closeness depending on jealousy or relationship satisfaction.

Adolescent Romantic Relationship–Oriented Facebook Behaviors: Implications for Self-Esteem

“…Individuals can also publicly display their current or anticipated romantic relationship on Facebook by having a dyadic profile picture or sharing pictures of activities on their own profiles. Studies have shown how common this behavior is and its links to relationship satisfaction (Saslow, Muise, Impett, & Dubin, 2013; Seidman, Langlais, & Havens, 2017) and commitment (Toma & Choi, 2015). Individuals can also publicly display their relationships through comments or posts on the Facebook content of current or potential romantic partners.…”

“…Individuals can also publicly display their relationships through comments or posts on the Facebook content of current or potential romantic partners. This behavior is common and linked to increased relationship quality of romantic relationships (Saslow et al, 2013; Seidman et al, 2017; Toma & Choi, 2015). However, individuals may overshare information on Facebook or share information that is embarrassing or inappropriate.…”

“…However, individuals may overshare information on Facebook or share information that is embarrassing or inappropriate. For example, some studies found that when individuals feel insecure in their romantic relationships, they overshare relationship information on Facebook (Emery, Muise, Alpert, & Le, 2015), but engaging in these displays is linked to thinking they are beneficial for the relationship (Seidman et al, 2017). Therefore, two other romantic relationship–oriented behaviors are public displays and oversharing information of the relationship, which also reflect self-disclosure via Facebook.…”

“…The association between romantic relationship–oriented Facebook behaviors and self-esteem may depend on relationship quality. For example, adolescents in low-quality romantic relationships may engage in excessive displays of the relationship as a compensatory method to boost satisfaction, consistent with adults (Seidman et al, 2017), which should have implications for self-esteem. To understand the interplay between romantic relationship–oriented Facebook behaviors and relationship quality for adolescent self-esteem, we propose the following research question:…”

What adolescents think of relationship portrayals on social media: a qualitative study

“…14 However, because individuals tend to post especially attractive versions of themselves online, 15 it is possible that those in unhappy relationships continue to post unrealistic couple photographs on social media as a compensatory mechanism or a self-presentation strategy to appear happier in their relationships to others. 12,16 Because social learning theories state that individuals construct their relationship views as a result of observing models or 'scripts' around them, 17,18 it is important to understand what relationship portrayals adolescents witness on social media platforms. Furthermore, we need to know whether adolescents feel influenced by such relationship portrayals online, and whether this influence can construct or alter their views on what a relationship should look like.…”