Arielle Bunnell & Spencer Lofting

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Social networking site’s impact on romantic relationships

Research question: How are romantic relationships affected by the use of social networking sites such as Facebook and Instagram?

Hypothesis: Frequent use of social networking sites will increase and/ or facilitate jealousy and partner monitoring behaviors.

     For this study, data was collected by means of eight individual interviews, two focus groups, and an online survey that totaled eighty four responses. Participants selected for the research were required to use social media, and be in a relationship. A challenge that had to be overcome was when multiple participants did not meet for the interview and focus group on the assigned date. This was fixed by conducting one interview and one focus group through Skype. Throughout the various methods most participants agreed that social networking sites had a positive effect on their relationship, especially if it was a long distance relationship. In addition, many participants stated that jealousy arises from the use of social networking sites which incites arguments which leads to negative impacts on their relationship. Looking at the survey results alone, our hypothesis is does not reflect the data collected. Participants recorded that their use of social networking sites decreased since being in a relationship. Even with non- frequent use of social networking sites, jealousy still arises under certain circumstances. When it comes to monitoring partner activity on social network sites, the majority of participants reported that they respect the privacy of their partner. Overall, social networking sites are a vessel of communication for couples. Many couples are happy with communicating over social networking sites, and many report indifferent.