Divorce During The Social Media Era

Do you think there is a link between social media use and higher divorce rates? Some new research is suggesting that the two are related in at least some capacity.

A recent study compared divorce rates for each state to per capita Facebook accounts. A separate analysis looked at data from a 2011-12 survey asking people about their marriage quality and social media use.

The study discovered a link between social media use and a decrease in married life quality.

However, these results don’t necessarily mean social media use itself is to blame for marriages failing. There could be extraneous variables involved. For example, a disgruntled husband might log on to Twitter or Facebook more often to divert his mind from the arguments he has been having with his wife. However, it is apparent that social media’s influence in marriages, and divorce, is becoming more prevalent.

The study, published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior by researchers from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Boston University, compared state-by-state divorce rates to per-capita Facebook accounts. In a separate analysis, they also used data from a 2011-2012 survey that asked individuals about marriage quality and social media use.

The state analyses found that a 20 percent annual increase in Facebook enrollment was associated with anywhere from a 2.18 percent to a 4.32 percent increase in divorce rates depending on the model used. Similarly, the model from individual survey results predicts that someone who does not use social media is over 11 percent happier in his or her marriage than a heavy social media user.

The authors also hypothesized that social media's addictive qualities may expose or even create marital strife, promote an environment prevalent with opportunities for jealousy and may help facilitate extra-marital affairs.

Social media is evolving at an alarming speed, with smartphones replacing simple cell phones, offering a whole new world of fast, direct and discreet communication options. Serving as multimedia datacenters, smartphones manage every kind of relationship. Social media applications lower inhibitions and barriers, making it simpler than ever to find contact nearly anyone. Why make a phone call when you can send private message with a picture or video to better engage the recipient?

Many people within the divorce process have found that mediation rather than divorce court was a better solution.

At WHYmediate?, Find out if mediation can allow you to resolve Divorce conflicts in a positive learning environment that covers how to deal with all the special days in your life.

WHYmediate? Mediation Services
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