Complain about your job on Facebook? Your children? What about your marriage?<\/p>\n
Hannah Seligson, author and New York Times contributor, contends that unhappy marriages are Facebook\u2019s last taboo. Seligson argues that complaining about one\u2019s spouse in public violates the marital code of silence. So, as people attempt to manage and influence how others perceive their relationships, social networks also affect couples\u2019 views of their own relationships. Approval from friends and family can positively affect the stability and quality of romantic relationships, while social disapproval may be a negative, sometimes relationship-ending force.<\/p>\n
In a 2010 article, Richard Slatcher found that friendships with other couples, particularly meaningful connections, increased feelings of closeness in one\u2019s own relationship. It also turns out that perceptions of others\u2019 opinions are more predictive of relationship stability than the actual views of network members. Thus social network approval has a positive influence on the partnership, including increased feelings of love and commitment.<\/p>\n