Social Media And Relationships: Negative & Positive Effects

Social media has taken over every bit of our lives. And it is difficult to manage privacy and hide relationship status. But how are social media and relationships connected? From sharing personal pics to failed relationship information, everything is posted on social media. Therefore, it is no big surprise that this has impacted relationships if we see through the lens of social media platforms.

It also depends on how social media is used. In addition, many polls, opinions, or ideas on different topics may often mislead us to make wrong decisions. This article explores how social media alter your relationships both positively and negatively. Scroll down for more information.

Is Social Media Bad For Relationships?

Socializing and relationships are seen through a different lens in the age of social media, where we are hooked to updating and scrolling through pages.

Social media has given us the privilege of meeting people from different walks of life, staying connected easily, and eliminating distance. It has not only changed how we look at communication but has also opened us to a variety of possibilities. It has become so convenient to form connections across the globe that ideas such as falling in love with someone do not seem far-fetched fantasies anymore. These digital connections have often led to internet dating and strong online friendships too.

But this convenience also comes with a cost. Although social media can be used to strengthen your bond and keep you connected with your partner, it can also be a reason to see your relationship going splitsville.  Bringing social media into your relationship can change the dynamics you share with your partner. It might lead to jealousy, unrealistic expectations, infidelity, and loss of intimacy.

Bhavnaa Narula, a blogger, shared that every time she had trouble with her relationship, she ran to social media for advice. She states in one of her blog posts, “At first, I was happy to have free pieces of advice readily available for me but soon I started feeling overwhelmed and anxious. I didn’t know which advice to pick and which one to kick (i).” She further mentions that every time she followed the wrong advice, she sabotaged her relationship. She adds, “It slowed down the progress that was happening with my partner and worsened the situation much more than it already was.”

To conclude, whether social media is good for a relationship or not is decided by the way you incorporate it into your relationships and how you indulge in online communication with others. Let’s now look at the downside of social media on relationships.

Negative Effects On Relationships

Overindulgence in social media can often create problems in relationships like increased arguments, jealousy, and lack of quality time between couples. Let us go over how spending too much time on social media can negatively impact relationships.

1. Sets Unnecessary Standards

Social media can press unnecessary standards on bodies, beauty, and even on love. The social engagement of couples includes posting about each other’s lives, grand gestures, romantic getaways, appreciation, and hoping on couple trends. It also creates a false image of love and relationships.

Social media also fails to project that relationships deal with hardships and struggles which people do not put out in the open. Thus, social media and virtual platforms can distort the image of relationships in your mind.

2. Leads To Oversharing

We all have been the victims of the joy of oversharing on social media, and couples are no exception. Couples on social media love updating their followers about their whereabouts and relationship status. People who tend to share nitty-gritty about their relationship forget that some moments are best enjoyed in private. Many couples tend to share gloomy details about their relationships via cryptic posts and stories. Sharing on social media is an unhealthy way to let your partner know about your feelings. Instead, having an open, heart-to-heart conversation can help you arrive at the table.

3. Leaves No Scope For Quality Time

Social media addiction has become a boiling issue between couples. Most couples tend to prioritize their social media presence over their current moment. Due to these virtual interactions, couples find it difficult to make time for each other. They might minimize talking and miss out on creating real memories, which ultimately fades away communication and togetherness between them.

A study done by the Pew Research Center found that half of the Americans in a relationship say that their significant other is distracted by their phone at least sometimes when they try to talk to them. This not only limits the time they could be spending together but also fosters a phony sense of intimacy that is not founded on genuine bonding or conversation.

Number Of Partner Distracted By Mobile Phone

4. Encourages Lethal Validation

Social media might plant deceptive ideas of relationships in the minds of the youth. It has become a key factor for low intimacy in relationships. Couples go the extra mile to validate their relationships through social media posts. This might bring couples to question if their love is only for social media or does it exist outside it?  Overuse of social media can drain out intimacy and love in the pursuit of seeking validation from your partner or the virtual world. So, instead of looking for validation on social media, you need to focus on building self-esteem through your personal achievements. This will help you improve your relationship as well as your own confidence.

Quick Tip

Social networking can also lead to “retroactive jealousy,” which occurs when a person is dissatisfied with their partner’s love history even though ex-partners are not involved in the present relationship.

Positive Effects On Relationships

There is a positive side to social media in relationships as well. Here is how it can help your relationship blossom.

1. Helps Stay In Touch With Your Partner

Communication is one of the most important things in a relationship. A lot of relationships end due to a lack of communication.  In such situations, social media can act as a glue to help you stay connected with your partner. You can keep yourself updated about your partner’s life and communicate easily through messages, video calls, or posts.

If you are in a long-distance relationship or struggling to align with each other’s availability, social media is an excellent way to cut the distance. Since communication steers the progress of every relationship, social media helps accelerate it. One of the best positive impacts of social media on relationships is improved and effective communication.

Did You Know?

A study found that people who have their significant others in their profile photo or make their relationship status public on Facebook are more likely to be happy in their relationships (1).

2. Helps Gain Perspective

Social media is a great guide to learn about various concepts of relationships. It helps open our eyes to setting boundaries, giving space, gaslighting, and stonewalling.  Social media articles and posts help us identify unhealthy bonds and create awareness about toxic relationships.

3. Helps Discover Your Partner’s Lifestyle And Opinions

Social media presence mirrors a person’s lifestyle, opinions, attitude, profession, and personality. It can give you an overview of your partner and help you decide if you both are fairly compatible with each other. Mutual connections in social media platforms help you understand your partner better and faster. It is also a safe place to start dating someone and get into a cyber relationship.

So now that you know the positives and negatives of social media on relationships, you can understand how regulating your usage is essential. Let us now take a quick peek at some tips to manage social media correctly.

How To Manage Social Media’s Influence On Relationships

Social media acts as a double-edged sword in relationships. While it can bring people together, it can also create distractions and misunderstandings. Here are some tips to help you manage social media as a couple:

1. Limit Social Media Time

Agree on when and how you will use social media together. For example, you might set phone-free times during meals or limit social media use in the bedroom. This helps keep your focus on each other.

2. Communicate Openly About Insecurities

Social media can sometimes spark feelings of insecurity. Make a habit of discussing these feelings openly. Remember, it is natural to have moments of discomfort, but sharing them can prevent misunderstandings.

3. Assess Social Media’s Impact On Your Relationship

Every so often, take a step back to evaluate how social media use affects your relationship. Is social media enhancing or detracting from your connection? Addressing these questions can help you make adjustments. Further, share your assessments with your partner and brainstorm effective solutions tailored to your lifestyle.

Additionally, avoid comparing your relationship to the filtered content you see on social media. Do not idealize them as relationship standards and focus wholeheartedly on your own connection with your partner. This way, you can ensure that social media remains a positive social or entertainment tool rather than a source of friction in your relationship.

Infographic: Effects Of Social Media On Relationships

Social media is a massive part of our lives and keeps us connected. For relationships, these platforms could be both beneficial and detrimental – they can help a relationship thrive but also cause fights and insecurities. The obsession with social media has consequences for every relationship, which is why it should be used with caution. Scroll down to the infographic below to learn social media’s positive and negative effects on relationships.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Final Thoughts

Frequently Asked Questions

Does social media create a gap in relationships?

Social media may create gaps in relationships, depending on how it is used. If communication over social media replaces face-to-face interactions, that may lead to a lack of intimacy and create gaps in communication within relationships.

How social media causes jealousy in relationships?

Spending too much time on social media may limit the time that partners spend communicating with each other. Relationship posts on social media may also create unrealistic expectations about how one’s own relationship should look and cause feelings of jealousy to arise. Jealousy may also stem from how one’s partner interacts with others on social networking sites.

Can social media use lead to relationship conflicts?

Yes, excessive social media usage can lead to conflicts in your relationship. Consequently, you may spend less time together, resulting in a reduced level of satisfaction in your relationship.

How can couples effectively communicate about social media use?

Following a few practices such as checking with your partner before posting a story or post that involves them, not snooping on your partner’s social media account, not asking your significant other to share their passwords with you, and prioritizing quality time are some ways couples can effectively communicate about social media use.

Can social media be a source of infidelity or emotional cheating?

Yes, social media makes it easier to cheat on their significant other. A person can confide in someone else, post flirty photos, delete their search history, or exchange contact information with another person.

What are some healthy boundaries for social media use in relationships?

Couples can, for instance, turn off their phones on date nights or post photos after vacation rather than during it. Regardless of how much you trust one another, you should talk about the potential harms of social media in your relationship and set some healthy boundaries by setting a daily time limit on social media, respecting your partner’s privacy, and addressing discomfort or issues as and when they arise in regard to social media usage.

Illustration: Social Media And Relationships: Negative & Positive Effects

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Social media has changed the way we interact with the world at large and with each other. Learn how social media imapcts our relationships from this informative video!

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Roma WilliamsLMFT

   

Roma Williams is a marriage, mental health, and family therapist and the Founder and Clinical Director at Unload It Therapy. She has 5 years of experience, and through her strategy-based and compassionate approaches, she helps her clients excel as individuals, life partners, and professionals and develop healthy mindset shifts by enabling them to deal with burnout, emotions, crisis/trauma, and navigate complex relationships.

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Sneha has a master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hyderabad, a professional Relationship Coach diploma, and over four years of experience in writing. She writes about relationships and lifestyle.Sneha began her career as an instructional designer, shifted to freelance technical and research writing, and self-published a novella on the theme of adolescent mental health.

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