Social Networking and Romantic Relationships: When Mental Illness Enters the Mix

Abstract

Social networking sites (SNS) are increasingly becoming integrated in our daily lives. We surveyed 184 spouses (female =138) to explore whether there is an association between partner’s perception of the quality of available alternatives and SNS infidelity related behaviors. We also explored if mental illness moderated this association. Those with mental and/or emotional illness reported higher levels of SNS infidelity than those without, however, we did not find between-group differences in perceived quality of alternatives or relationship satisfaction. Perceived quality of available alternatives predicted social media infidelity behaviors and this association was moderated by mental illness status. These results suggest that partners with mental illness may face additional challenges when it comes to guarding their relationship against infidelity.

Keywords:

• Social media
• infidelity
• romantic relationship
• relationship alternatives
• mental illness