Trust but Verify? The Role of Social Media Monitoring in Romantic Relationships

• In Event: Online Dating and Relationships

Abstract

The ubiquity of social media has provided romantic partners the permanent means of keeping tabs on each other’s activities and whereabouts. However, little is known about why some partners employ monitoring behavior and how it affects their relationships. Therefore, this study draws on attachment theory to predict social media partner monitoring and examines how this behavior affects feelings of jealousy as well as happiness triggered by social media. The results of a quantitative online survey (N=550) indicated that anxious attachment positively predicted social media partner monitoring mediated by trust. There was no significant relation for attachment avoidance. Social media partner monitoring predicted social media jealousy as well as relationship happiness. Relationship confidence was tested as a moderator, however, moderation did not occur. Implications of the findings are discussed and directions for future research are presented.

Authors

• Sonja Rohm, University of Amsterdam

• Diana Rieger, University of Mannheim

• Peter Vorderer, U of Mannheim