Is Social Media Hurting Your Marriage?

In my clinical practice, one of the things I am encountering more and more is the impact that social media has upon marriages. Facebook is almost as common in households as cell phones (neither of which I have… well, I briefly opened a Facebook account, but promptly shut it down. Scared me in a subtle way). It wasn’t too long ago when cell phones were a rarity, or should I say a novelty and superfluous; Facebook was something only on the horizon. Email was cool and for those with laptops. We actually spoke to each other with audible words, and we compose hand-written letters.

Those days are gone for most families.

I know couples who spend literally hours on their computers, posting messages on their Facebook accounts. In those posts, they reveal some very trivial and personal information that in some cases at least, lead to a certain neglect of the marital bond and the necessary sharing between husband and wife that keeps marriages alive.

My recommendation?? — yes, I know hardly anyone, if anyone at all will do this — Stop using Facebook. Limit your time on the internet to at most one hour a day (outside of work-related activity) and write a letter by hand once a week to a family member or neighbor.

You will be surprised what will happen to your marriage.

I was browsing today the website Fathers For Good an initiative of the Knights of Columbus, and ran across an article written by Matt Warner about all of this. It is a quick read, and he gives us three points to use in monitoring our use of the social media. To read it, log on to: Warner Article.

Remember, tell your wife you love her… the first thing in the morning and the last thing at night.