According to McDaniel et al. (2012), excessive screen time anddigital engagement arecorrelated with decreased partner satisfaction and conflict resolutionquality. Their research demonstrates that couples who frequently use social media duringshared time report feeling emotionally disconnected and neglected, which contributes toescalating conflicts. Moreover, this digital distraction leads to missed non-verbal cues,interrupting the emotional synchronization essential for marital harmony.
Cravens and Whiting (2015) highlighted a growing trend of”emotional infidelity” throughsocial media platforms, particularly Facebook and Instagram. Their study illustrated howcasual digital interactions with ex-partners or online acquaintances often cross emotionalboundaries. This erosion of emotional exclusivitycontributes to feelings of betrayal anddecreased marital trust, even when no physical infidelity has occurred. Emotional betrayalthrough private messaging and photo sharing was rated as equally, if not more, damaging thanphysical affairs.
Festinger’s (1954)Social Comparison Theory has been explored extensively in the context ofsocial media. Haferkamp and Krämer (2011)9 revealed that individuals tend to evaluate theirrelationships negatively when exposed to curated online portrayals of others’ romantic lives.This leads to envy, lowered self-esteem, and dissatisfaction within one’s own marriage. Theconstant visibility of “perfect” relationships fosters unattainable expectations, which candeteriorate perceived relational quality and foster resentment between spouses.
Coyne et al. (2017) introduced the term technoference—the interference of technology inface-to-face interactions. Their research showed that couples who frequently experiencetechnoference (e.g., partner checking phone during conversation) are more likely to reportconflict, emotional disengagement, and decreased intimacy. Over time, even minor instancesof technoference can accumulate, leading to chronic disconnection and emotional withdrawalbetween partners.
Recent neurological studies, such as those by Montag et al. (2019),show that prolongedsocial media usage leads to structural andfunctional changes in the brain, particularly inregions responsible for empathy, impulse control, and reward processing. These changesnegatively impact emotional regulation in intimate relationships, as individuals become moreprone to irritability, reduced patience, and emotional numbing—key drivers in maritalbreakdowns.
