Twitter Use may Increase Potential for Relationship Problems

Social media might seem relatively harmless. It can be an easy way to keep in touch with family, friends and acquaintances. However, there can also be some negative potentials connected to frequent media interactions.

A recent study published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, found that for Twitter users in romantic relationships, serious consequences can result. Researchers from the Interactive Media Institute in San Diego, Calif., found that in graver situations, it could even permanently end contact with a loved one or spouse.

Previous studies have shown that Facebook, in some cases, has illustrated a similar effect regarding trust issues and increased risk of infidelity and even divorce. However, this research zeroes in on the relationship between the active Twitter user, Twitter-related conflict and any negative relationship outcomes.

For the study, researchers examined evaluations regarding the amount of time a person spent on Twitter, how much conflict arose between couples as a result of Twitter use, and whether or not negative relationship outcomes were associated with Twitter use and Twitter-related conflict.

"The idea was to characterize the relationship between active Twitter use, Twitter-related conflict and negative relationship outcomes," said study author Russell Clayton of the university, in a news release.

Clayton and colleagues said they found that Twitter use and Twitter-related conflict was often connected to emotional and physical cheating that could lead to a break-up or divorce, in some cases.

However, these outcomes were not impacted by the length of the romantic relationship.

"Since much of the social networking research is in its infancy, we do not know if other media, such as Instagram will also impact relationships in a negative way," said Brenda K Wiederhold, editor-in-chief at Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, California.

As one of the most popular networking sites, Twitter hosts about 554 million active users.