Twitter Usage Linked to Romance Problems

Social media addicts may be damaging their love life, according to a new study.

While social networking services like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have revolutionized the way people create and maintain relationships, new research reveals that they could actually be harming romance.

 Researchers from the University of Missouri found that active Twitter users are significantly more likely to experience Twitter-related conflict with their romantic partners. Furthermore, Twitter-related conflict increases the risk of negative relationship outcomes like emotional and physical cheating, breakup and divorce.

Lead researcher Russell Clayton surveyed 581 Twitter users of all ages. Participants were asked about their Twitter use like how often they login to Twitter, tweet, scroll through the newsfeed, send direct messages to others and reply to followers.

The study also asked participants if they experienced conflicts or arguments with their current or former partner because of their Twitter use.

The findings revealed that the more often respondents reported being active on Twitter, the more likely they were to experience Twitter-related conflict with their partner, which significantly increased the risk of negative relationship outcomes.

"The aim of this study was to examine whether the findings of Claytons' recent study, which concluded that Facebook use predicted Facebook-related conflict, which then led to breakup and divorce were consistent with another social networking site platform: Twitter," said Clayton, according to a news release.

Clayton and his team previously found that Facebook-related conflict and negative relationship outcomes were more prevalent among couples in relationships of three years or less. However, the latest findings on Twitter revealed that these outcomes occurred regardless of duration of relationship.

"I found it interesting that active Twitter users experienced Twitter-related conflict and negative relationship outcomes regardless of length of romantic relationship," Clayton said. "Couples who reported being in relatively new relationships experienced the same amount of conflict as those in longer relationships."

Researchers recommend that couples experiencing conflicts due to their use of social networking sites limit their daily and weekly use to more healthy and reasonable levels.

The findings are published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.

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