Couples Who Chat on Facebook Have a Stronger Relationship Bond

Couples who spend time together on Facebook tend to share a stronger bond and enjoy a longer-lasting relationship than those who avoid seeing each other online, suggested researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The researchers found that couples who were chatting on Facebook echoed those feelings in real life and were likely to have better marital ties. People tend to internalize what they say about themselves in public. Catalina Toma, study co-author, said, "We were interested applying this to relationships and to the idea that if you declare your commitment publicly, you might perceive yourself as more committed to that partner."

For the study, the research team asked questions to couples to find out details about their relationships and levels of commitment. The researchers also examined the 'friendship activity' of the couple on Facebook. They found that couples who continued to chat on the social networking site had a stronger relationship. Toma said, "These publicly posted cues likely induced participants to perceive themselves as part of a romantic unit, thus cementing the relationship."

Source-IANS