America
Couples as happy as they appear on Facebook
New York, Feb 17
Whether you "like" it or not,
couples who flaunt how happy they are with their partners through
selfies, pictures, or text messages on Facebook are actually more
satisfied with their partners than those who do not, says a study.
"Posting
about one's relationship on Facebook may be positively related to the
quality of the relationship because it symbolises making a public
commitment to the relationship," said lead author Mai-Ly Steers from
University of Houston.
"In making a public commitment to the
relationship, an individual is highlighting to themselves and to others
that the relationship is an integral part of his or her self," she
added.
The study examined the social media habits of 188 students in relationship.
Those
students who were regularly sharing couple's selfies and checking in at
dates were happiest in their current relationship, the findings showed.
"Our
findings suggest that those high in relationship authenticity may be
more intrinsically motivated to express themselves as part of a couple
on Facebook, which in turn may affect their global relationship
functioning," the researchers said.
Recent literature has also
provided evidence that online behaviours may be a manifestation of
off-line cognitions; furthermore online self-presentations may shape
off-line outcomes, they said.
The study appeared online in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture.