Social Media and Relationships

Running head: SATISFACTION IN RELATIONSHIPS AND THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 1
An Examination of the Effects of Using Social Media While in Romantic Relationships
Hannah Morrow
Marcus Clark
Patrick Sobera
Taylar Wagner
Tommy Morgan
Radford University

SATISFACTION IN RELATIONSHIPS AND THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2
Introduction
With the current rise of social media we are seeing new patterns of how relationships
develop, continue and terminate. We feel that social media can affect the satisfaction of these
romantic relationships by how much information is revealed by each of the partners involved.
Current research unveiled information on both the positive and negative impacts social media
has on romantic relationships. An experiment was conducted to see if revealing too much
information on social media can have a negative effect on romantic relationships.
Relationship Development
Facebook, in current research, is found to be replacing the traditional method of
communication in the initial steps of relationships. Before social networking sites became
prevalent the typical pattern for a romantic relationship was meeting someone, get his or her
phone number, then setting up a date. Facebook and other social media sites are affecting the
way users initiate and escalate romantic pursuits as well as the way social networks perceive
these relationships. Current research explains how men and women perceive a “Facebook
official” relationship status. After a study conducted by Jesse Fox at Ohio State University, he
found that women place a higher priority on romantic relationships more so then men do. It goes
on to explain that women want to secure the commitment from the man as well as protect their
resources and minimize third party threats. They also want to advertise that the man is “taken”.
Going Facebook official than enables woman to broadcast their relationship to other through
social media as a way to secure their resources and ward off other women. Men are the opposite
of women when it comes to romantic relationship and would rather have multiple sexual partners
instead of one. This study is useful to our research because it will help us understand how

Facebook has changed the way people initiate and escalate a romantic relationship through social
media and how men a women perceive a Facebook Official relationship.
“The role of Facebook in romantic relationship development” article discusses the
implication that social media sites have on romantic relationships. It specifically focuses on
Knapp’s model of relationships by examining it through a new perspective where the social
networking site Facebook is taking into account. The article explores the effect Facebook has on
the escalation stage of romantic relationships including; initiating, experimenting, intensifying,
integrating, and bonding. One main aspect of Facebook focused on in the study was declaring
that “One is in a relationship” on Facebook (Fox, Warber, & Makstaller, 2013, p. 4). What
implications becoming Facebook officials can cause for those in relationships is looked at in
detail. Results of being Facebook official varied based on gender (Fox, Warber, & Makstaller,
2013, p. 6).
Fox, Warber, and Makstaller (2013) say “the nature of Facebook gives network members
unprecedented access to information about a romantic involvement, including declared
relationship status, photographs, and social commentary…” (p. 3). The authors maintained that
users of social media sites are creating new norms and express themselves in different ways,
which has an effect on how couples use social media in connection to their romantic relationship.
The authors conducted a study that included participants were 24 men and 31 women from a
small midwestern university, who had romantic relationship experience at the time since they
started using Facebook, and ranged from 18 to 23 years of age. They found that Facebook has
changed the way people enter relationships, seek information about the other individual, and
posting their relationship status as a social statement (Fox, Warber, & Makstaller, 2013, p. 8-13).

Facebook makes it easier to enter relationships, but much harder to not be influenced once in a
relationship.
Revealing Too Much
Research has found that the time spent on Facebook can be intrusive on people’s personal
lives by sharing too much personal information. Not only does this lead to jealousy but also the
fear of abandonment. Because of this researchers have found that this leads to relationship
dissatisfaction. Friends of a partner may come off as ambiguous or threatening leading to
paranoia of the state of the relationship (Elpjinston & Noller, 2011, p. 11). Researchers are
finding more often that Facebook is only disrupting people’s personal lives. Even being to open
about your relationship can have negative effects.
When does sharing personal information about your relationship become too much?
Talking via Facebook or Twitter can affect relationships compared to face-to-face interactions or
even talking on the phone. Although, sharing personal information about yourself might have a
positive impact, sharing information about your relationship with your significant other can be
traumatic. Current research shows that Facebook is a great way to meet people but some things
just aren’t kept personal. Public posts are most definitely related to the development of a new
relationship. On the other hand, it has been proven in multiple studies that “Facebook
satisfaction” was positively correlated with relationship satisfaction (Muise, Christofides, &
Desmarais, 2009, p. 442). It is a major concern for what is expected out of relationships
(Elpjinston & Noller, 2011, p. 11). It is important to maintain social media satisfaction in order
to maintain relationship satisfaction. It is stated that saying “I love you” can sometimes
positively and negatively affect the relationship in several ways. In one-way, saying “I love you”
publicly can be offensive and embarrass the other person. Some people like that to be said in a

private setting because it is a private feeling. Although, saying, “I love you” publicly can create
the feeling of happiness because they want everyone to know how in love they are. That person
may not believe that it is a private feeling to have. We can see that Facebook has an effect on
relationships that are already concrete, but what about the escalation stage of a romantic
relationship?
Social Media
Social media has become a large part of popular culture in today’s society and we are
seeing correlations between use of social media and relationships, more specifically romantic
relationships. The most popular forms of social media include Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
We are seeing that Facebook is the most used form of social media and seems to cause a strain
on romantic relationships. In a study done by Papp, L. M., Danielewicz, J., & Cayemberg, C
they explain their research” Confirming hypotheses from compatibility theories of mate
selection, partners demonstrated similar Facebook intensity (e.g., usage, connection to
Facebook” which basically is saying couples usually share the same intensity of Facebook use.
This causes lasting repercussions on the relationship by creating jealousy, paranoia and distrust.
Papp, L. M., Danielewicz, J., & Cayemberg, C explain how the more technology is developing
the more it facilitates or hinders relationships. The time spent on Facebook can be intrusive on
people’s personal lives by sharing too much personal information. Because of this researchers
have found that this leads to relationship dissatisfaction.
Jealousy in Relationships
Current research shows that Facebook can cause jealousy and negatively affect romantic
relationships. One study suggests that Facebook is responsible for creating jealousy and
suspicion in romantic relationships (Dainton, 2013, p.47). These studies suggest that exposing

ones social network activity to a public domain has negative implications for romantic and
sexual relationships. This is because Facebook causes jealousy in other people especially ones
with low self-esteem or trust levels. Facebook has changed the nature of public and private in the
sense that much more information is available to individuals about their partner’s relationships
and interactions than they would have with offline communication (Rau, Gao, & Ding, 2008, p.
6). People who spend more time on Facebook are the ones who are becoming more jealous and
this has a negative effect on their personal and romantic relationships. This study is useful to our
research because it shows how revealing information on social media has a negative effect on
romantic relationships because they cause jealousy.
Destruction of Relationships
Some research focuses on the negative impact of documenting everything we do online.
It describes certain social media sites as addicting because users have become accustomed to
sharing every activity they participate in through sites like Instagram and Twitter. Instead of just
going about their day, users take the time to post a picture on Instagram or compose a tweet that
corresponds with a certain activity (Steijn & Schouten, 2013, p. 582).
Focusing on the interpersonal aspect of relationships, it seems like social network users
are using these various sites for a reasonable purpose. Users participate in sites like Facebook
and Twitter to get an emotional feel for each other, but individuals also “lurk” through these sites
to gather information and to be updated with worldly topics (Laird, 2012). Overall, many use
social networks to form an intimate relationship and to share experiences through direct
communication. “Lurking” can be viewed in many ways but in some cases, performing this
action can result in individuals looking to fulfill their needs and to be satisfied.

Relationship Satisfaction
Although, sharing personal information about yourself might have a positive impact,
sharing information about your relationship with your significant other can be traumatic. This
article shows that Facebook is a great way to meet people but some things just aren’t kept
personal. Public posts are most definitely related to the development of a new relationship. On
the other hand, it has been proven in multiple studies that “Facebook satisfaction” was positively
correlated with relationship satisfaction. Facebook can also be correlated with relationship
dissatisfaction.
The time spent on Facebook can be intrusive on people’s personal lives by sharing too
much personal information. Not only does this lead to jealousy but also the fear of abandonment.
Because of this, researchers have found that this leads to relationship dissatisfaction. Friends of a
partner may come off as ambiguous or threatening leading to paranoia of the state of the
relationship. Researchers are finding more often that Facebook is only disrupting people’s
personal lives.
Hypotheses
H1: People in romantic relationships who reveal too much information on social media will not
be satisfied in their relationship.
H2: People in romantic relationships who do not post the details of their relationship on social
media will be satisfied in their relationship.
Using the hypotheses stated above and all relevant research, it is expected that when
information is revealed on social media, then satisfaction in romantic relationships will decrease.

Conversely, if information is not revealed on social media, then the satisfaction in romantic
relationships will increase.
Method
Participants
A survey research was conducted at a midsized university in Southwest Virginia. 47
participants were recruited to participate in this research. Participants were asked to complete the
surveys online on Qualtrics. They were contacted through electronic mail and social media. We
surveyed 47 participants. Of the participants surveyed 32 were female and 15 were male. 43
identified themselves as Caucasian, 1 was African American, 0 were Asian, 0 were Native
Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 0 were American Indian or Alaskan Native, and 3
identified as Other. The average age group of those surveyed was 18-22. The average class year
of those surveyed was Junior.
Procedure
The 17 question electronic survey was given to people who were randomly selected. The
participants were asked to complete the survey through social media posts and their participation
was completely voluntary. The survey was posted online on Qualtrics for a two week period to
allow as many participants as possible to take the survey.
Instruments
The survey consists of 47 questions. The survey was organized in such a manner in which
we believed would minimize confusion for participants to respond to questions regarding
personal relationships. In addition to the strategic order, an introduction was also included to
allow participants to know who we were and why we were conducting our research.

Use of social media. To assess the participants’ use of social media two questions were
asked. One of the questions asked the participants which social media platforms they used (e.g.,
“Facebook”) and gave the option to choose more than one media site. Another question
measured the amount of time participants spend on social media per week. The results ranged
from “less than 1 hour,” “1-3 hours,” “3-5 hours,” and “more than 5 hours.” The reliability of the
scale was .25.
The satisfaction in a relationship. To assess the satisfaction in a relationship; we used
the 5-point Likert scale to measure ten different aspects of the variable. Each Likert scale item
represented a particular characteristic about the correlations between romantic relationships and
the use of social media. The scales measured the satisfaction participant’s feel when their
significant other posts about their relationship on social media. Lastly, the scales measured
whether or not what is posted on social media affects the likelihood of the participant to stay in a
relationship. One of the questions stated, “Social media websites have an affect on my romantic
relationships.” The participants were then asked to respond with “Strongly Agree,” “Agree,”
“Neither Agree nor Disagree,” “Disagree,” or “Strongly Disagree.” The reliability of the scale
was .33.

Results
For the variable in question a correlation test was conducted. H1 stated, “People in romantic
relationships who reveal too much information on social media will not be satisfied in their
relationship.” H2 stated, “People in romantic relationships who do not post the details of their
relationship on social media will be satisfied in their relationship.” The hypotheses proposed in
the current research stated that the use of social media is negatively related with the satisfaction
in romantic relationships. A Pearson correlation was calculated by using SPSS and the result was
not significant with r (47) = .18, p = .01. The hypotheses were not supported.
The following tables show the frequencies for each of the variables about satisfaction.
Each table shows the frequency participants answered with “Strongly Agree,” “Agree, “Neither
“Agree or Disagree,” “Disagree,” and “Strongly Disagree.”

The following statements will be about your relationship status on social media. -Defining the
relationship on social media is appropriate.
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid
Strongly Agree 10 21.3 21.3 21.3
Agree 17 36.2 36.2 57.4
Neither Agree nor Disagree 11 23.4 23.4 80.9
Disagree 7 14.9 14.9 95.7
Strongly Disagree 2 4.3 4.3 100.0
Total 47 100.0 100.0
The following statements will be about your relationship status on social media. -I would
consider ending my current or future relationship based on what my significant other posted
on social media about our relationship.
Percent
Valid
Agree 14 29.8 29.8 38.3
Disagree 10 21.3 21.3 87.2
Total 47 100.0 100.0
The following statements will be about your relationship status on social media. -I think its
appropriate if my romantic partner posts intimate pictures (ex. kissing/hugging) on social
media.
Percent
Valid
Agree 17 36.2 36.2 38.3
Disagree 8 17.0 17.0 85.1
Total 47 100.0 100.0

The following statements will be about your relationship status on social media. -It is
appropriate for my significant other to post every little detail about what we do that day. (Ex.
"Sarah and I went hiking today and had a long gazing kiss at sunset")
Percent
Valid
Disagree 15 31.9 31.9 53.2
Total 47 100.0 100.0
The following statements will be about your relationship status on social media. -I am
satisfied with my current relationship.
Percent
Valid
Agree 9 19.1 19.1 70.2
Disagree 2 4.3 4.3 95.7
Total 47 100.0 100.0
The following statements will be about your relationship status on social media. -Social media
will not determine whether I continue my current relationship.
Percent
Valid
Agree 2 4.3 4.3 4.3
Disagree 19 40.4 40.4 63.8
Total 47 100.0 100.0

The following statements will be about your relationship status on social media. -What my
significant other posts on social media doesn't affect the satisfaction of my current
relationship
Percent
Valid
Agree 11 23.4 23.4 25.5
Disagree 9 19.1 19.1 72.3
Total 47 100.0 100.0
The following statements will be about your relationship status on social media. -I see myself
continuing my current relationship.
Percent
Valid
Agree 8 17.0 17.0 66.0
Disagree 1 2.1 2.1 95.7
Total 47 100.0 100.0

Gender
Male
Female
31.9%
68.1%
Age
18-22
23-27
28+
78.7%
12.8%
8.5%
The following graphs depict the demographic information for the participants surveyed.
This includes gender, age, class standing, and race of the participants.

** Totals for Asian and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander are not shown in the graph
because there were no participants who identified as either of these ethnicities.
Class Standing
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
36.2%
29.8%
23.4%
2.1%
Race
African American
Caucasian
Other
91.5%
6.4% 2.1%

Discussion
The results of the hypothesis were not entirely accurate in response to our current
research. All the results were supported, but the results were not able to clearly determine the
effect social media has on relationships. Overall, 50 participants took our survey; 3 of the
participant’s results did not show up when documenting the total results.
The results of our research were overshadowed by the fact that only 47 participants
responded to a survey, which was conducted on-line. Due to our small sample size, our results
lacked the strength in order to form a legitimate result. If more participants were willing to share
their input, the results of our current research could thoroughly support our hypothesis. We also
had a very biased participant group when it came to ethnicity. More diversity may have made our
scale more reliable.
H1 stated, “People in romantic relationships who reveal too much information on social
media will not be satisfied in their relationship.” When asked about revealing information about
conflict or intimacy on social media the majority of participants agreed that it is not appropriate
to post that information on social media (see charts above).
H2 stated, “People in romantic relationships who do not post the details of their
relationship on social media will be satisfied in their relationship.” This was supported by the
same data collected for H1.
H3 stated, “The more time spent on social media while in a romantic relationship will
decrease the satisfaction in the relationship.” We did not come up with a reliable way to measure
this hypothesis, which most likely contributed to the low reliability of our scale.
Our hypotheses highlight the effect social media has on relationships. Even though we
did not support all of our hypotheses was not confirmed, its clear social media has an effect on

relationships. With the lack of overall input needed to form a conclusion, our hypothesis could
not be supported. Adjustments need to be made on how we could further test our hypothesis and
its clear that a much larger sample size is needed to accurately test our hypothesis. Lastly,
rewording of each of our questions would enhance the reliability of our scale.
Conclusion
In conclusion, primary and secondary research done was in agreement over the
correlation between the use of social media and the satisfaction in romantic relationships.
Primary research found that the majority of people do not find it beneficial or appropriate for a
relationship when a partner reveals a lot of information about the relationship on social media.
Secondary research reinforced these findings and also found that the more people use social
media the less satisfied they are in their romantic relationships. Even though the scale was not as
reliable as desired, the information uncovered can be utilized and improved upon for future
research.

References
DAINTON, M. (2013). RELATIONSHIP MAINTENANCE ON FACEBOOK:
DEVELOPMENT OF A MEASURE, RELATIONSHIP TO GENERAL
MAINTENANCE, AND RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION. College Student Journal,
47(1), 113-121.
Elphinston, R. A., & Noller, P. (2011). Time to Face It! Facebook Intrusion and the Implications
for Romantic Jealousy and Relationship Satisfaction. Cyberpsychology, Behavior &
Social Networking, 14(11), 631-635. doi:10.1089/cyber.2010.0318
Fox, J., Warber, K. M., & Makstaller, D. C. (2013). The role of Facebook in romantic
relationship development: An exploration of Knapp’s relational stage model. Journal Of
Social & Personal Relationships, 30(6), 771-794. doi:10.1177/0265407512468370
Laird, S. (2012). Is Social Media Destroying Real World Relationships? Retrieved from
http://mashable.com/2012/06/14/social-media-real-world-infographic/
Muise, A., Christofides, E., & Desmarais, S. (2009). More Information than You Ever Wanted:
Does Facebook Bring Out the Green-Eyed Monster of Jealousy?. Cyberpsychology &
Behavior, 12(4), 441-444. doi:10.1089/cpb.2008.0263
Papp, L. M., Danielewicz, J., & Cayemberg, C. (2012). 'Are We Facebook Official?'
Implications of Dating Partners' Facebook Use and Profiles for Intimate Relationship
Satisfaction. Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 15(2), 85-90.
doi:10.1089/cyber.2011.0291
Rau, P. , Gao, Q., Ding, Y. (2008, September 17). Relationship between the level of intimacy
and lurking in online social network services. Computers in Human Behavior, 24(6), 275-
277. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563208000708

Steijn, W. P., & Schouten, A. P. (2013). Information Sharing and Relationships on Social
Networking Sites. Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 16(8), 582-587.
doi:10.1089/cyber.2012.0392

Survey
The following survey is being conducted to measure how much of an affect the use of social
media has on romantic relationships. Please answer to the best of your ability.
1. Which of the following social media platforms do you currently use? (Circle all that
apply)
a. Facebook
b. Twitter
c. Instagram
d. Other
2. How many hours a week do you spend on a social media site?
a. Less than 1 hour
b. 1-3 hours
c. 3-5 hours
d. More than 5 hours
3. Are you currently in a romantic relationship?
a. Yes
b. No
The following statements will be about your relationship on social media.
1. Defining the relationship on social media is appropriate.
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
c. Neither agree nor disagree
d. Disagree
e. Strongly disagree
2. I would consider ending my current or future relationship based on what my significant
other posted on social media about our relationship.
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
d. Disagree
3. Social media websites have an affect on my romantic relationships.
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
d. Disagree
4. I think it is appropriate if my romantic partner posts about a recent conflict on social
media.
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree

d. Disagree
5. I think its appropriate if my romantic partner posts intimate pictures (ex. kissing/hugging)
on social media.
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
d. Disagree
6. It is appropriate for my significant other to post every little detail about what we do that
day (Ex. “Sarah and I went hiking today and had a long gazing kiss at sunset.”)
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
d. Disagree
7. I am satisfied with my current relationship.
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
d. Disagree
8. I see myself continuing with my current relationship.
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
d. Disagree
9. Social media will not determine whether I continue my current relationship.
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
d. Disagree
10. What my significant other posts on social media doesn’t affect the satisfaction of my
current relationship.
a. Strongly agree
b. Agree
d. Disagree
11. My gender is:
a. Male
b. Female
12. My age is:
a. 18-22

b. 23-27
c. 28+
13. My race is or most closely to:
a. American Indian and Alaska Native
b. Asian
c. African American
d. Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
e. Caucasian
f. Other
14. My class standing is:
a. Freshman
b. Sophomore
c. Junior
d. Senior

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