Why do couples affirming to stay together until their last breath get physically and/or emotionally disengaged?
In the current times, partners can conveniently develop virtual friendships. These friendships when formed with an underlying motivation of evaluating romantic alternatives could potentially weaken the primary relationship. This may especially be true if partners are seeking romantic alternatives due to their emotional indifference towards their significant other. Online interactions with romantic alternatives could distract disengaged partners from working on rebuilding their primary relationship. Moreover, excessive online communication with online friends can develop into social media addiction, which could potentially exacerbate romantic disengagement.
Research Question:
Can relationship commitment protect spouses from Facebook addiction if they are experiencing romantic disengagement?
Recent research found that romantic disengagement is connected positively with Facebook addiction, irrespective of the level of relationship commitment (Abbasi, 2019). Abbasi, I. S. (2019). The link between romantic disengagement and Facebook addiction: Where does relationship commitment fit in? The American Journal of Family Therapy, 46(4), 375-389. https://doi.org/10.1080/01926187.2018.1540283
