With the introduction of smart phones, we are able to do many activities on our phones. As we have started to fit our social activities from shopping to gym, entertainment to work on the small screen, our relationships also became more digital. We somehow managed to shift our dating life to digital too since social media platforms became the place for meeting new people, socializing and even flirting. I am sure majority of us are guilty of sliding into someone’s DMs. Therefore, we have decided to take a look of how relationships are thriving in the digital age.
The use of mobile phones and social media in relationships can lead to problems such as distraction and jealousy. According to a research carried out by Pew Research on May 2020, half of the couples say that they are distracted by phones while trying to communicate with their partners, while 4 out of 10 people say they feel uncomfortable from this situation from time to time. Approximately, 18% of partnered adults ages 18 to 49 say they are often annoyed by the amount of time their partners spend on their phones, compared with 6% of those ages 50 and older. The main reason for the annoyance that their partners is often distracted by their phone when they are trying to have a conversation.
With phones being such a distraction, people can also show a tendency to look through their partner's phones. Although this might be valid for everyone, the likelihood of women looking through their partners' phones with their knowledge is 45% and 25% for men. It is underlined that the main motive for this is type of behavior could be based on trust. As they think their partner could be communicating with ex-lovers and other people. Since 70% of those who use social media frequently stalk their ex-lovers.
Some users also like to show their love and compassion for their relationships on social media. While half of the users between the ages of 18-30 use social media to show their commitment to their partner, they also say that it is important for their relationship. 40% of LGBTQI+ users post about their lives and relationships on social media. Approximately one-third of LGBTQI+ people say they are not jealous in their current relationship because of the way their partners interact with others on social media, 22% of heterosexuals confirm this. Cute couple posts on social media usually do not attract the attention of single people. Overall, three out of ten adults on social media use these sites to show how much they care about their spouse and keep track of what is going on in their spouse's life.
Although, the digital world makes it easier to communicate with others, when it comes to “love” it may be good to go offline every now and then. It should not be forgotten that today, even though everything has gone digital, human interactions are still basic. Actions speak louder than words or captions. We should not forget to express and show how much we love our partners through our actions.