Title

The Rationale Behind Texting, Videoconferencing, and Mobile Phones in Couple Relationships

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-23-2020

Publication Title

Marriage and Family Review

First page number:

1

Last page number:

25

Abstract

Smartphones and digital media are omnipresent in day-to-day life. There are positive and negative consequences to technology usage in established relationships; we also know that there are several theories outlining why people use technology generally. What is less clear, however, is how these two entities intersect. The purpose of this article is to determine the how different mechanisms related to technology—namely, texting, video calling, and e-mail—are used in established romantic relationships. Using a hermeneutics qualitative methodology and interviewing 17 individuals, we uncovered the rationale for why individuals decide on using particular methods of communication to engage with their romantic partner. We discovered unique reasons for texting as compared to video conferences, phone calls, and e-mail usage in established romantic relationships. Implications and future research are discussed.

Keywords

Couples; E-Mail; Internet; Smartphone; Text; Video Conference

Disciplines

Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling | Medicine and Health Sciences | Mental and Social Health

Language

English

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