Disadvantages of Technology and Digital Communication on Adolescent's Romantic Relationships

    by A. Bieri

    Technology has advanced beyond what some of us understand and continues to have significant relevance in not only adolescent’s lives, but everyone’s everyday lives.  The usage of devices has opened a new world of accessing information, changed communication patterns/interactions between the world, and impacted the development of relationships.  It is stated in an article written by scholars Marissa Mosley and Morgan Lancaster, that in a recent Pew Research Center survey (2019) 95% of adolescents reported having a smart phone.  Not only do adolescents use devices daily, but they are more likely to be better educated about the latest updates, devices, and technological programs than many American adults.  Although digital communication has positively advanced adolescent’s lives in many ways, it’s important to analyze the negative effects digital communication has on adolescents and their relationships.   During the adolescent developmental stages, young adults are learning how to shape healthy relationships between themselves and others, which will pave their way of interaction into adulthood.  Recognizing the disadvantages of digital communication can help parents and researchers attain an understanding on technology and its effects on adolescent relationships.

    According to an article written by Nesi et al (2017), adolescents communicate about half of their conversations with their romantic partners over text-messaging and social networking sites.   It has been discovered that this has negative effects on adolescent’s communication and social skills and hinders adolescents from developing certain social skills because it also allows adolescents to avoid important confrontational and in-person experiences; therefore, limiting their learning ability of resolving conflict and having control of conflict management.  Similarly,  Rizzo et al (2019) performed a separate study on adolescents who are involved in romantic relationships and learned that due to the instant access and lack of conflict control,  digital communication can increase the rate of escalation of aggression and increases the chances of partners using technology to publicly expose, harass, stalk, or humiliate their significant others.  Other unhealthy habits have also been reported like activity tracking and GPS location services have been known to be common amongst young relationships (Rizzo et al. 2019).  Mosley and Lancaster (2019) stated that according to an adolescent questionnaire they obtained, up to 56% of adolescents in romantic relationships have reported experiencing a form of cyber dating abuse over the past year and these adolescents also reported that they have been pressured by partners to send sexual or naked photos of themselves.  It was also very common that these adolescents have been threatened via text messages and reported circumstances in which they received so many messages from their romantic partners that they felt unsafe.

    With the data collected analyzing the negative effects that technology and digital communication has on adolescent’s romantic relationships, it is important to recognize the significance this has on adolescent’s future development of healthy relationships.  Cyber dating abuse is common amongst all age groups, but because adolescents are experiencing puberty, identity issues, and other internal emotions, adolescents are very vulnerable to becoming victims of the disadvantages of digital communication.

Nesi, J., Widman, L., Choukas, B. S., & Prinstein, M. J. (2017). Technology‐based communication and the development of interpersonal competencies within adolescent romantic relationships: A preliminary investigation. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 27(2), 471–477. https://doi-org.ezproxy.franu.edu/10.1111/jora.12274

Mosley, M. A., & Lancaster, M. (2019). Affection and abuse: Technology use in adolescent romantic relationships. American Journal of Family Therapy, 47(1), 52–66. https://doi-org.ezproxy.franu.edu/10.1080/01926187.2019.1586592

Rizzo, C. J., Collibee, C., Nugent, N. R., & Armey, M. F. (2019). Let’s get digital: Understanding adolescent romantic relationships using naturalistic assessments of digital communication. Child Development Perspectives, 13(2), 104–109. https://doi-org.ezproxy.franu.edu/10.1111/cdep.12320

Hinduja, S.  (2020).  [Teen worried about messages received]. [Photograph].  Digital Dating Abuse Among Teens: Our Research, and What We Must Do. https://cyberbullying.org/digital-dating-abuse-research-findings