BU Study: Social Media Use Leads To Higher Divorce Rate
BOSTON (CBS) – Logging onto Facebook seems innocent enough. But according to a Boston University study, social media users are more likely to be changing their relationship status to "single" as a result.
The study called "Computers in Human Behavior," concludes that Facebook use is correlated with reduced marital satisfaction and also with higher divorce rates.
Between 2008 and 2010, the number of people using Facebook increased significantly, and during the same time period the divorce rate in the United States increased by 2 percent, the Boston University study claimed.
"Although it may seem surprising that a Facebook profile, a relatively small factor compared to other drivers of human behavior, could have a significant statistical relationship with divorce rates and marital satisfaction, it nonetheless seems to be the case," the author of the study writes in the conclusion.
"This relationship holds up at both the individual and state levels."
According to the study, there are two possible explanations for why social media use could lead to higher divorce rates.
The first is that using social media sites weakens marriages and causes divorce. The second possibility is that people in troubled relationships use social networking sites more often, according to the study.
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