Relationship

Change in the Development of Relationships

Uses and Trends

In our now largely virtual world there are many ways that we can choose to communicate with one another. Texts, FaceTime, and social media sites have become some of the most popular ways for people to communicate with each other. Romantic partners express their relationship in many ways. A couple can choose how they want their relationship to be expressed to the public. Now, with the increasing growth of  social media, romantic partners can express their relationship online for essentially everyone they know to see. Social networking sites are used to try to recreate face-to-face communication and to maintain interpersonal relationships by allowing individuals to share and post things with each other. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, Instagram and twitter, allow couples to post pictures and statuses about their relationship. Moreover, individuals may use social media instead of face to face interaction to end a romantic relationship just because it is convenient for them.

Social media networks have become vital channels for our day to day interactions. Users rely on these platforms to keep in touch with family and friends, gather information and share what is important to them. Social media networks are host to a wide range of experiences because they help connect people in good times and bad. It is widely used to provide social and emotional support to your friends, family and loved ones. 75 perfects of the parents with access to digital technology turn to social media for parenting related information and social support.   

Impacts

This debate video discusses social media’s influence on teens:

Due to the emergence of social media in our lives, the people of the world are more interconnected than at any other time in history. Because of this, there could be a perception that people are happier because they are connected with more people. In fact, authors Nezlek and Schatten-Jones found that people who were more socially active offline reported greater life satisfaction and higher psychological well-being. However, social interaction in the virtual world tells a different story, especially when those online connections impact our offline interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, social media is a great medium for posting about your relationships and loves ones, but it can also be a breeding ground for jealousy and can cause uncertainty in a relationship. Authors Utz and Beukeboom discuss three characteristics of social networking sites that can influence relationships. The first is that social networking sites increase the amount of information that romantic couples receive about their significant other. The second characteristic is that social networking sites make it easy to monitor partners. The third is that information about romantic partners are publicly displayed to their group of friends. This can create a blurred line for privacy between partners. Social media has made the relationships more common and frequent. In a family setting, excessive use of social media by parents to keep an eye on their adolescents has increased the fear of ‘helicopter parenting’. This may impact the social well being of an adolescent. Social media do not only impact our relationships with others, they also impact our relationships with ourselves and how we perceive the world around is.

Moving Forward

As more people around the world get access to technology and social media, new relationships will easily form between people of different background. With increasing use of social media, conditions such as fear of missing out (FOMO) and anxiety may become serious health issues. For couples, becoming social media or Facebook official may replace actual engagements and other ceremonies. Social media will have many positive and negative effects on interpersonal relationships. With invention of virtual reality technology and its integration with social media, face to face interaction may become less common.