How does internet and social media use impact relationships? - exploring university student perceptions

Relationships are central to our health and well-being and the use of technologies like Facebook is changing the way we communicate with others and manage our relationships. Excessive social media use can have a detrimental effect on family and intimate relationships, leading to mistrust, breakdown of relationships and potential legal disputes. This paper presents the results of a preliminary study focused on quantifying Australian university student use of the internet and social media and exploring student perceptions of the impact that social media use has on their relationships. Findings indicate that the majority of participants use the internet and social media frequently. Most students reported that they use social media to interact with family and friends and that it does not reduce the amount of time they spend speaking with family and friends overall. However, a quarter of students reported initiating friendships with people they had met online, a finding that warrants further research to explore the benefits and risks of such behaviour.