Social media could make dents in your love life

Researchers tested the theory of "media multiplexity," or the ability to communicate via several communication channels.

The theory, they said, suggests that there is a clear link between the number of media channels used to communicate, the frequency with which they are used and the strength of relationship ties, the New York Daily News reported.

Lead researcher Bernie Hogan of the University of Oxford's Internet Institute said that he and his team wanted to see if all the digital media channels available to people now actually strengthened the relationship ties between married people.

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"Over 24,000 people in marital relationships took part in the new research, using 10 media channels," he said.

"We found that those using more media tend to report no greater relationship satisfaction and some even reported decreasing satisfaction," the researcher said.

While he added that media connectivity with your loved one is a sign of a strong marriage, this holds true only to a certain point.

There seems to be a "cut-off point" after which the upkeep of so many separate channels gets cumbersome and undermines the relationship.
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