Dr. Sarah Tulane has finished a research campaign that showed some interesting information about marriage and social media. The information was published in the Journal of Family and Economic Issues.
The study found:
- Watching TV had no impact on the marriage quality, but this is a type of media use that many couples use together--a leisure activity for both, less interactive type of media
- With social networking, the study showed more women than men using overall, which was expected. Marriage quality decreased when men were using social networking more.
- In the study, when spouses reported the same amount of time gaming, then there wasn't an impact on marital quality. But when either spouse reported more time spent with gaming, this is where decreases in marital quality were seen.
Take away message:
- Media is engrained in our culture, whether traditional (TV) or more interactive (social media, gaming).
- With media being a part of daily life, it's another reason why having open, clear communication with your spouse is important.
- Couples should be open in communicating expectations regarding media use.
