Should you unfriend your spouse on Facebook?
Is social media toxic to your relationship? Does it lead to jealousy and fights? If an old high school flame makes a flattering comment about that selfie you just posted, is that something your significant other should see?
Couples who delete each other on Facebook are more likely to stay together, according to relationship expert Ian Kerner.
The New York-based therapist claims that unfriending your significant other on social media can put the spark back into a relationship.
Even better, he says, people should delete their Facebook accounts entirely to free up more time to spend with their partners.
Kerner cited technology and compatibility as the main subjects that keep cropping up in couple’s therapy.
He says the use of mobile phones means couples are spending less talking to each other face-to-face, causing miscommunication and arguments.
According to the Pew Research Center, 25 percent of married or partnered adults who text have texted their partner when they were both home together.
The same number, have felt that their partner was distracted by their mobile phone and eight per cent have had arguments about how much time their partner spends online.
Kerner, who has now deleted his Facebook account, said there were some challenges that arose in his own relationship because of social media.
‘I realized for a little while with my own wife that I didn’t really want her to be my friend on Facebook,’ he says.
‘I didn’t want all of that extra information. If anything I wanted less information – I wanted more mystery and more unpredictability.
He says that a ‘digital detox’ – even if it’s for a short period of time – can benefit all couples.
