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Impact of Social Media Usage on Married Couple Behavior a Pilot Study in Middle East
Abstract
As social animals, we are in need to communicate, collaborate and express our feelings and thoughts. But today our way of communication has changed; internet and social media occupied the imperious part of our lives. Now, community depend upon social media more than face to face communication to express themselves. But the use and role of social media vary from person to person. Growing evidence has shown that the social media has become the top addiction of present day time, which is affecting people’s life not only as individual but also as a community. Social media addiction also proved to be the cause of negative impact on the relationship especially among couples. As of fact, role of social media on the lives of couples is vacillating. In one prospect, social media is the source of getting support, while at the other end it is the cause of conflicts and some negative feelings among couples. This paper specifically aims at studying the impact of social media on the lives of couples in Middle East. For this purpose, a survey study was conducted, where almost 287 respondents participated. Results indicates that social media is the major cause of negative impact on the lives of couples.
... M. Y. Muise et al., 2014;Williams 2012). Also, Gull et al. (2019) reported that tracking a partner's behavior online might increase jealousy, tension, and mistrust. ...
... Some married couples that spend a considerable amount of time using social media reported sad marital relationships because the excessive use of social media reduced accomplice interaction (AlRashed). Some spouses often feel ignored and are bothered by the time their partners spend online or worry about what they are doing online (Gull et al., 2019). In addition, the amount of time spent online might harm an individual's relationships with their relatives (Al-Saggaf, 2004;Yu et al., 2018;Clayton 2014) warns that, although social media sites can be useful by helping customers stay in touch with others, their excessive use may be dangerous to marital relationships. ...
The present study investigated the associations between social media use
integration and Technological Intimate Partner Violence (TIPV) while also
exploring the mediating role of the three dimensions of jealousy and the
moderating role of moral absolutism. Our sample consisted of 404 adults
aged 18 to 59. The results indicated a significant positive effect of social
media use integration on cognitive jealousy and TIPV. Social media use integration
was correlated with behavioral jealousy and TIPV, while TIPV was
positively associated with all three dimensions of jealousy. The moderated
mediation analysis suggested that behavioral jealousy fully mediated the effect
of social media use integration toward TIPV at all levels of moral absolutism,
while cognitive jealousy had a partial mediating effect only at medium and
high levels of moral absolutism. We discuss our findings by pointing out that
(a) various dimensions of jealousy might be influenced differently by social
media use integration, and (b) individuals with high levels of moral absolutism
might be more prone to cognitive jealousy after being exposed to prolonged
social media use. We acknowledge that our results may have limited generalizability
as our sample was primarily female. Research involving larger portions
of male participants would be important to pursue.
... Social media has transformed communication into social dialogue, dominates and reshapes society and culture. To date, social media sites are the Internet's most visited sites, and that number keep growing every day (Gull et al., 2019;Mustafa & Hamzah, 2011;Qualman, 2009). Due to the advancement of this technology, the world is more connected, and the implications towards interpersonal relationships are inevitable. ...
... Another study that covered many Middle East countries including Saudi Arabia investigated the impact of social media on married couples' behavior. The key findings from this study show that inappropriate posts of one of the couple and increased use of social media cause negative feelings such as loneliness, depression, lack of trust and ignorance (Gull et al., 2019). ...
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of social media use on both empathy and well-being through using a five-factor model (FFM) of personality in the context of Saudi Arabia.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from the 13 regions in Saudi Arabia. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to measure the reliability and validity of the study’s constructs and a structural equation modeling technique was applied to test the study hypotheses.
Findings
With a sample of 450 users, the regression results indicate a less significant relationship between personality and social media use, as well as between personality and affective empathy, while a more significant relationship between personality and cognitive empathy. Also, individuals’ well-being are influenced directly by the heavy use of social media.
Research limitations/implications
The cross-sectional design used in this research may not be able to provide the true essence of the hypothesized relationships compared to the cause-effect design. This study furthers the understanding of the role of personality on empathy and well-being in social media among Saudis from one side and provides insights to professionals for better improvement of social media and so better individuals’ well-being from the other side.
Originality/value
This paper fills an untapped gap in a developing country context by exploring the relationship between the usage of social media and the two dimensions of empathy, which, in turn, influence well-being under the theoretical lens of an FFM personality.
... Studies have highlighted the negative impact of online infidelity on marital relationships and its detrimental effect on the mental health of the offended spouse. [15] We decided to consider WhatsApp use (social media) for this study because research shows that social media addiction can have negative effects on the relationship of couples [16] and WhatsApp is most common social media used by people along with Facebook according to recent literature [17] and its use is increasing. Specialist doctors were considered as, for them, because of busy schedules of work, WhatsApp and other means of online communication can be the easy way to socialize and keep them updated along with its use for professional purposes. ...
Background: Social media like WhatsApp is known to affect relationships of an individual, and busy professionals like doctors appear no bar. The objectives of this study were to analyze the pattern of WhatsApp use in specialist-doctors and to study its effect on their relationships. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional pilot study. Consecutively selected hundred married specialist doctors were assessed using self-reported validated questionnaire including questions related to demographics, WhatsApp use, and effects on relationships in a tertiary care center. Statistical analysis was performed using mean, standard deviation, t-test, and Chi-square test. A value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Participants of various specialties, with a mean age of 41.5 years reported regular WhatsApp-use (89%) of mean duration 2.5 years with 19% spending> 2 h/day. About 62% reported using WhatsApp during personal time, leading to reduction in time spent with spouse (37%), impairment in household responsibilities (24%), disturbances in social-activities (26%) and craving. About 36% reported negative effects on married life. 21% reported inability to spend quality-time with spouse, 24% had concern about spouse's WhatsApp-use, 25% reported reduced cohesion between them and 22% felt that excessive use can create doubts in spouse's mind. Those aged
Background and Objective: Couples' communication interactions in the context of social networks have been challenged. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of a tool for measuring the consequences of virtual social media on marital life by factor analysis. Materials and Methods: This tool is a qualitative methodology based on the exploration of views and perceptions of married men and women about the consequences of virtual social networks on married life. The validity of the questionnaire was assessed through face validity (qualitative and quantitative), content validity (qualitative and quantitative) and construct validity (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis) in 700 married individuals. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined by the test-retest method (calculation of intra-class correlation coefficient) and internal correlation (calculation of Cronbach-alpha coefficient). Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS24 and AMOS24 software. Results: The initial instrument consisted of 20 items from a qualitative study, which after psychometrics, 4 items were removed and 12 items remained. The range of values calculated for the ratio and content validity index of the items were (0.83-1) and (0.66-1), respectively, and the impact score of all of them was h igher than 1.5. The Intra-class correlation coefficient and Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the questionnaire were obtained at 0.864 and 785, respectively. The results of exploratory factor analysis were four factors: Threat of marital commitment, "individualization of cohabitation"," Threat to privacy" and "Faded intimacy". In confirmatory factor analysis the fitted model based on these four factors explained 43.75% of the consequences of social media presence on couples lifestyle. Conclusion: Psychometric results in this study showed that a tool with 20- iteme and 4 domains for measuring the consequences of social media presence on couples' lifestyles has good validity and reliability and it can be used as a suitable tool in this field. © 2021 Iranian Association of Health Education and Health Promotion. All right reserved.
ÖZET
Toplumsal yaşam içerisinde bireyin kendini ifade etmesini ve diğer insanlarla olan ilişkilerini belirleyen en önemli olgu iletişimdir. İster sözlü, ister sözsüz, ister yazılı, isterse jest ve mimikler aracılığı ile olsun iletişim kurma ihtiyacı kişilerarası ilişkiler için kaçınılmazdır.
Teknoloji ve internet kullanımının gelişmesiyle birlikte hayatımıza giren yeni medya ortam ve araçları, tüm iletişim süreçlerini biçimlendirmektedir. Bu hızlı değişme ve gelişmeler kafa karıştırıcı, zorlaştırıcı, kolaylaştırıcı unsurları da beraberinde getirmektedir. Dünyanın herhangi bir ucundaki bir bireye ulaşmak sadece saniyeleri alırken, bazen yanı başımızda aynı dili konuştuğumuz insanlarla yaşanan iletişim güçlükleri görülebilmektedir.
Bireysel yaşamla birlikte toplumun temelini oluşturan aile kurumunda da karşılıklı ve yüz yüze iletişim biçimleri çok önemlidir. Evlilik birlikteliği ile bir araya gelen ve evli bir çift olarak toplumsal yapı içerisinde konumlanan kadın ve erkek bireyler, kişilerarası iletişim araçları olarak geleneksel iletişim yöntemleri ile birlikte yeni medya araçlarını da sıklıkla tercih etmektedir. Bu araçlardan biri de mevcut mobil uygulamalar içerisinde en fazla kullanıcı sayısı ve kullanım oranı olan WhatsApp uygulamasıdır. WhatsApp kişisel iletişim bağlamında kolaylaştırıcı, özgür ve sınırsız kullanım özellikleri ile kullanıcılarına fayda sağlamaktadır.
Kullanım pratikliği açısından olumlu ve olumsuz özellikleri olan WhatsApp, evli bireyler
arasındaki geleneksel iletişim biçimini etkilemiş ve evli bireylerin hem bireysel kullanımlarını hem de aile bireyi olarak yüz yüze iletişimlerini sanal ve mobil bir iletişime dönüştürmüştür. Bu bağlamda kişilerarası iletişimin çok önemli bir değer olduğundan hareketle, toplumun en önemli kesimlerinden biri olan evli bireylerin, mobil uygulama pratikleri bağlamında WhatsApp kullanım özelliklerini belirlemek ve WhatsApp kullanmanın eş ilişkileri üzerindeki etkilerini ortaya çıkarmak çalışmanın amacını oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmada 237 evli birey ile, çevrimiçi (online) anket yöntemi kullanılarak bir araştırma gerçekleştirilmiştir. Anket sonuçlarından elde edilen veriler neticesinde, bireylerin WhatsApp kullanım şekli, WhatsApp kullanımının gündelik hayatın kişisel ve sosyal yönlerine etkisi ve WhatsApp kullanımının evlilik hayatına etkileri belirlenmiştir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Kişilerarası İletişim, WhatsApp, Evli Bireyler
Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Internet addiction on the tendency to marital infidelity in couples in Shiraz. Method: The statistical population includes all men and women who referred to counseling centers in Shiraz for marriage counseling in 2015. These people completed the Internet Addiction Questionnaire and were divided into two groups: Internet addicts and normal. Samples were selected by available sampling method from Shiraz city counseling centers, 60 Internet addicts and 60 normal people. Findings(Results): The results showed that there is a significant difference between Internet addicts and people who use the Internet normally in the tendency to betray and addicted people have a greater tendency to betray. The difference between men and women in the tendency to betray is not significant and the duration Marriage is also a poor predictor of marital infidelity. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that people with Internet addiction are more prone to betrayal. This issue can be both a sign of betrayal and a cause for it. In any case, the extreme presence in cyberspace facilitates the tendency to betrayal in people.
In this paper the authors explore the usage of Web 2.0 by the Saudi female students for their information and knowledge sharing. The results are based on a survey conducted in one of the public sector universities in Saudi Arabia. Questionnaire is developed to get insight about the usage of social media by female students. The results highlighted that Web 2.0 applications are widely adopted by students for their academic collaboration and information sharing. This pilot study advocates for a more rigorous study to validate the findings across the country.
The purpose of this study was to examine the predictors and consequences associated with Instagram selfie posting. Thus, this study explored whether body image satisfaction predicts Instagram selfie posting and whether Instagram selfie posting is then associated with Instagram-related conflict and negative romantic relationship outcomes. A total of 420 Instagram users aged 18 to 62 years (M = 29.3, SD = 8.12) completed an online survey questionnaire. Analysis of a serial multiple mediator model using bootstrapping methods indicated that body image satisfaction was sequentially associated with increased Instagram selfie posting and Instagram-related conflict, which related to increased negative romantic relationship outcomes. These findings suggest that when Instagram users promote their body image satisfaction in the form of Instagram selfie posts, risk of Instagram-related conflict and negative romantic relationship outcomes might ensue. Findings from the current study provide a baseline understanding to potential and timely trends regarding Instagram selfie posting.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to increase understanding of the determinants and usage of global technology services in Saudi Arabia. The technology under investigation is social network technology, Twitter.
Design/methodology/approach
– Drawing upon relevant extant literature, the paper proposes a research model, which examines the relationship between personal and social factors and usage of Twitter, as well as the moderating effects of gender and user experience. Data were collected online from 281 Saudi Twitter users, and the research model was empirically tested using standard procedures.
Findings
– The findings support some of the proposed direct and moderating effects. For example, enjoyment, freedom of expression, and social interaction were found to influence Twitter usage. Gender as well as user experience has a moderating effect in the relationship between self-presentation and usage.
Research limitations/implications
– The proposed framework contributes to global (technology) services management and marketing research by integrating personal and social factors, and demographics as direct and contingent factors in understanding user acceptance of social network technologies in the Arab region. Detailed discussions of the research, managerial and contextual implications conclude the paper.
Originality/value
– The personal and social motives behind the use of social network sites in the Arab region particularly Saudi Arabia is ill understood due to a dearth of research on the region. This paper helps to bridge this research and knowledge gap.
In this article, we will discuss what is known about a surprisingly popular phenomenon in the Middle East-the use of social media to communicate. We will begin with a discussion of what "social media" sites are (sites such as Facebook, Your Middle East, YouTube, Flickr, Muslima.com, chat rooms, and instant messaging) and point out how common they are in the Middle East. Next, we will discuss the reasons why men and women are currently using Internet and social media. Finally, we will discuss what impact social media have had on politics, political dissent, education, and men's and women's relationships-and the impact they might be expected to have in future years. Finally, we will focus on the impact of such media on men's and women's relationships-including cross-gender friendships, romantic relationships, and sexual relationships.
The purpose of this study was to examine how social networking site (SNS) use, specifically Twitter use, influences negative interpersonal relationship outcomes. This study specifically examined the mediational effect of Twitter-related conflict on the relationship between active Twitter use and negative relationship outcomes, and how this mechanism may be contingent on the length of the romantic relationship. A total of 581 Twitter users aged 18 to 67 years (Mage=29, SDage=8.9) completed an online survey questionnaire. Moderation–mediation regression analyses using bootstrapping methods indicated that Twitter-related conflict mediated the relationship between active Twitter use and negative relationship outcomes. The length of the romantic relationship, however, did not moderate the indirect effect on the relationship between active Twitter use and negative relationship outcomes. The results from this study suggest that active Twitter use leads to greater amounts of Twitter-related conflict among romantic partners, which in turn leads to infidelity, breakup, and divorce. This indirect effect is not contingent on the length of the romantic relationship. The current study adds to the growing body of literature investigating SNS use and romantic relationship outcomes.
Facebook has become ubiquitous over the past 5 years, yet few studies have examined its role within romantic relationships. Two studies tested attachment anxiety and avoidance as predictors of Facebook‐related jealousy and surveillance (i.e., checking a romantic partner's Facebook page). Study 1 found that anxiety was positively associated, and avoidance negatively associated, with Facebook jealousy and surveillance. The association of anxiety with Facebook jealousy was mediated in part by lower trust. Study 2 replicated this finding, and daily diary results further showed that over a 1‐week period, anxiety was positively associated, and avoidance negatively associated, with Facebook surveillance. The association of anxiety with greater surveillance was mediated in part by daily experiences of jealousy.
Love is often thought to involve a merging of identities or a sense that a romantic partner is part of oneself. Couples who report feeling more satisfied with their relationships also feel more interconnected. We hypothesized that Facebook profile photos would provide a novel way to tap into romantic partners’ merged identities. In a cross-sectional study (Study 1), a longitudinal study (Study 2), and a 14-day daily experience study (Study 3), we found that individuals who posted dyadic profile pictures on Facebook reported feeling more satisfied with their relationships and closer to their partners than individuals who did not. We also found that on days when people felt more satisfied in their relationship, they were more likely to share relationship-relevant information on Facebook. This study expands our knowledge of how online behavioral traces give us powerful insight into the satisfaction and closeness of important social bonds.
Recent research has focused on the Internet and relationships; however, little attention has been given to the specific role of social networking sites in relationship betrayal. Exploring the processes related to discovery of Facebook infidelity behaviors adds another layer to understanding Internet infidelity and highlights the behaviors unique to Facebook infidelity. Stories about cheating (N = 90), taken from the website Face-bookCheating.com were analyzed using grounded theory methodology to create a process model of discovery. Researchers sought to answer four questions: (1) What is the expe-rience of nonparticipating partners when their partners have engaged in infidelity behaviors on Facebook? (2) What are the basic social processes that occur when discovering the infidelity behaviors? And, (3) What are the basic psychological processes that occur? (4) What similarities or differences exist between the current research on offline and online infidelity and the process model from the current study? The categories are arranged in a process model, which depicts these processes as well as the emotional experience of the nonparticipating partner. The model highlights important phases through which the non-participating partner cycled following the discovery of the infidelity. These include appraising the boundary damage, acting on the appraisal, and making a decision about the relationship. Suggestions for clinical intervention based on this process are provided. Future research implications are also discussed.
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between using the social networking site known as Facebook and negative interpersonal relationship outcomes. A survey of 205 Facebook users aged 18-82 was conducted using a 16-question online survey to examine whether high levels of Facebook use predicted negative relationship outcomes (breakup/divorce, emotional cheating, and physical cheating). It was hypothesized that those with higher levels of Facebook use would demonstrate more negative relationship outcomes than those with lower use. The study then examined whether these relationships were mediated by Facebook-related conflict. Furthermore, the researchers examined length of relationship as a moderator variable in the aforementioned model. The results indicate that a high level of Facebook usage is associated with negative relationship outcomes, and that these relationships are indeed mediated by Facebook-related conflict. This series of relationships only holds for those who are, or have been, in relatively newer relationships of 3 years or less. The current study adds to the growing body of literature investigating Internet use and relationship outcomes, and may be a precursor to further research investigating whether Facebook use attributes to the divorce rate, emotional cheating, and physical cheating.
Abstract Online social networks, such as Facebook, have gained immense popularity and potentially affect the way people build and maintain interpersonal relationships. The present study sought to examine time spent on online social networks, as it relates to intimacy and relationship satisfaction experienced in romantic relationships. Results did not find relationships between an individual's usage of online social networks and his/her perception of relationship satisfaction and intimacy. However, the study found a negative relationship between intimacy and the perception of a romantic partner's use of online social networks. This finding may allude to an attributional bias in which individuals are more likely to perceive a partner's usage as negative compared to their own usage. Additionally, it was found that intimacy mediates the relationship between online social network usage and overall relationship satisfaction, which suggests that the level of intimacy experienced in a relationship may serve as a buffer that protects the overall level of satisfaction.
Social network sites (SNSs) are commonly used to maintain existing relationships and form connections with new contacts. Recently, concerns of have been expressed over the way these Web-based technologies are used. Estimates suggest that people are increasingly using SNSs for engaging in the surveillance of others. Given the relatively high rates of prevalence, it can be argued that SNSs have been reinvented into a tool for interpersonal surveillance along with their social networking capabilities. This article expands on the concept of interpersonal electronic surveillance and applies it in the specific context of romantic partners’ use of SNSs. The relationships between surveillance over SNSs and demographic, relational, and Internet use and efficacy variables are studied. The findings reveal that interpersonal surveillance over SNSs is influenced by age, the time individuals spend on their partners’ profiles, the integration of SNSs into daily routines, and Internet self-efficacy.
Social networking sites (e.g., MySpace and Facebook) are popular online communication forms among adolescents and emerging adults. Yet little is known about young people's activities on these sites and how their networks of “friends” relate to their other online (e.g., instant messaging) and offline networks. In this study, college students responded, in person and online, to questions about their online activities and closest friends in three contexts: social networking sites, instant messaging, and face-to-face. Results showed that participants often used the Internet, especially social networking sites, to connect and reconnect with friends and family members. Hence, there was overlap between participants' online and offline networks. However, the overlap was imperfect; the pattern suggested that emerging adults may use different online contexts to strengthen different aspects of their offline connections. Information from this survey is relevant to concerns about young people's life online.
On social network sites (SNS), information about one's romantic partner is readily available and public for friends. The paper focuses on the negative (SNS jealousy) and positive (SNS relationship happiness) consequences of SNS use for romantic relationships. We examined whether relationship satisfaction, trait jealousy, SNS use and need for popularity predicted these emotional consequences of SNS use and tested the moderating role of self-esteem. For low self-esteem individuals, need for popularity predicted jealousy and relationship happiness. For high-self-esteem individuals, SNS use for grooming was the main predictor. Low-self-esteem individuals try to compensate their low self-esteem by creating an idealized picture. Undesirable information threatens this picture, and especially individuals with a high need for popularity react with SNS jealousy.
This study examines the content of MySpace pages to reveal the types of personal information users disclose on their pages and the types of communication users engage in via through their MySpace accounts. The researchers performed a traditional content analysis on MySpace user profiles to learn about user characteristics and about the types of content posted on profiles pages. Findings showed a clear pattern of use of the site for creating and developing personal identities and relationships online. Findings show a high degree of control by users over private information, with very few users posting personal information such as telephone numbers and addresses. The results of this research contribute to an understanding of the use of MySpace as a social networking site, a communication tool, and a means of self-disclosure and identity formation.
Despite the fact that research has identified intimate relationships as being an important factor in how people look to present themselves on social networking sites, there still remains a lack of research in this domain. By comparing trends inside the rituals of the relationship status, public displays of affection and photographs on Facebook this paper examines how they can impact a relationship in the offline world by discussing the extent to which the design and features of the site can impact the emotional repertoire of its users. Results highlighted that the website has the potential to provide a new focus and channel for a person to depict where their relationship is going, feeling rules can be attached to certain rituals on the website. By focusing on the relationship statusoption and public displays of affection, it was emphasized that these rituals accentuate themes of possession and territory and can be used to configure a couple’s superiority. The discussion on photographs illustrated how the website can bring problems and jealousy to the relationship, particularly when the ‘ex-partner’ was taken into account.
The social network site Facebook is a rapidly expanding phenomenon that is changing the nature of social relationships. Anecdotal evidence, including information described in the popular media, suggests that Facebook may be responsible for creating jealousy and suspicion in romantic relationships. The objectives of the present study were to explore the role of Facebook in the experience of jealousy and to determine if increased Facebook exposure predicts jealousy above and beyond personal and relationship factors. Three hundred eight undergraduate students completed an online survey that assessed demographic and personality factors and explored respondents' Facebook use. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis, controlling for individual, personality, and relationship factors, revealed that increased Facebook use significantly predicts Facebook-related jealousy. We argue that this effect may be the result of a feedback loop whereby using Facebook exposes people to often ambiguous information about their partner that they may not otherwise have access to and that this new information incites further Facebook use. Our study provides evidence of Facebook's unique contributions to the experience of jealousy in romantic relationships.
New media, such as Facebook, has implications for romantic relationships, including easing the ability to monitor a partner's activities. Across two studies we demonstrate that in response to feelings of jealousy, women are more likely than men to monitor their partner's activities on Facebook. In Study 1, participants were exposed to one of three experimental conditions meant to provoke jealousy, and their search time on a simulated Facebook environment was recorded. Jealousy predicted more time searching for women, but less for men. In Study 2, a dyadic daily experience study, on days when women (but not men) reported greater jealousy they spent more time monitoring their partner on Facebook, and anxious attachment was one mechanism that explained this association. The results are discussed in terms of gender differences in attachment and response to feelings of jealousy.
A longitudinal analysis of panel data from users of a popular online social network site, Facebook, investigated the relationship between intensity of Facebook use, measures of psychological well-being, and bridging social capital. Two surveys conducted a year apart at a large U.S. university, complemented with in-depth interviews with 18 Facebook users, provide the study data. Intensity of Facebook use in year one strongly predicted bridging social capital outcomes in year two, even after controlling for measures of self-esteem and satisfaction with life. These latter psychological variables were also strongly associated with social capital outcomes. Self-esteem served to moderate the relationship between Facebook usage intensity and bridging social capital: those with lower self-esteem gained more from their use of Facebook in terms of bridging social capital than higher self-esteem participants. We suggest that Facebook affordances help reduce barriers that lower self-esteem students might experience in forming the kinds of large, heterogeneous networks that are sources of bridging social capital.
Nearly 80% of organizations now employ some form of employee surveillance. This significant level of use infers a salient need for additional theory and research into the effects of monitoring and surveillance. Accordingly, this essay examines the panoptic effects of electronic monitoring and surveillance (EM/S) of social communication in the workplace and the underlying structural and perceptual elements that lead to these effects. It also provides future scholarly perspectives for studying EM/S and privacy in the organization from the vantage point of contemporary communication technologies, such as the telephone, voice mail, e-mail, and instant messaging, utilized for organizational communication. Finally, four propositions are presented in conjunction with a new communication-based model of EM/S, providing a framework incorporating three key components of the panoptic effect: (a) communication technology use, (b) organizational factors, and (c) organizational policies for EM/S.
The internet has become an integral part of many people’s everyday lives. It is unclear what its role is in maintaining intimate offline relationships and whether the use of the internet might cause conflicts between partners about what constitutes acceptable online behavior. An online survey of 920 married couples in the UK who used the internet investigated whether partners have similar netiquettes. There were high levels of agreement between married partners about the unacceptability of online infidelities; similarly they agreed more than two random individuals about the acceptability of entertainment activities which, in excess, might be addictive. Partners further showed high correspondence in surveillance behavior. Women were more concerned about their own and their partner’s behavior and were more likely to monitor their partner’s online activities. These findings suggest that a netiquette is developed and consciously or subconsciously negotiated within intimate relationships. Nevertheless, traditional gender differences as regards risk perception still hold; women are more likely to problematies their own and their partners behaviors.
Ever since the beginnings of the internet researchers have questioned its utility in developing and maintaining psychological healthy romantic and sexual relations. Advocates of the social presence theory and media richness theory purport that in leaner media individuals can be quite aggressive towards one another (e.g., in the form of flaming). In contrast, others believe that the lack of tradi- tional cues in CMC can in fact be overcome and instead lead to more personal, intimate relation- ships. As this paper will demonstrate, when we consider how beneficial it is to form relationships online we also need to consider individuals' characteristics (e.g., personality characteristics and phys- ical attractiveness), the amount of time people spend online, the duration of online relationships, and how these relationships effect individuals' offline activities and relationships. Overall, the view here is that online relationships can be empowering for many people; that is, cyberspace provides a unique environment for people to experience and learn about relationships and sexuality. 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The social networking site (SNS) Facebook is becoming increasingly recognized as a medium through which individuals can investigate and monitor others' activities. However, little is known about whether Facebook monitoring behavior occurs within romantic relationships and, accordingly, the psychological predictors of this behavior. The present study employed an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) framework including self-esteem, partner trust, and demographic characteristics, to predict frequent Facebook partner-monitoring. Facebook users (N=244) in romantic relationships completed measures assessing the standard TPB constructs (attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control), additional predictor variables (self-esteem and partner trust), and demographic characteristics (age, gender, relationship length, daily Facebook logins, and time spent per login). One week later, participants reported their level of Facebook partner-monitoring during the previous week. Regression analyses supported the standard TPB constructs of attitude and subjective norm in predicting intentions to engage in frequent Facebook partner-monitoring, with intention, in turn, predicting behavior. Partner trust, but not self-esteem, significantly predicted frequent Facebook partner-monitoring intentions. Of the demographic characteristics, daily Facebook logins significantly predicted both intention and behavior and, unexpectedly, relationship length directly affected behavior. Overall, the current study revealed that frequent Facebook partner-monitoring is influenced by attitudinal, normative, and relational factors and, potentially, increased visits to Facebook. These findings provide a new understanding of an individual's use of the world's leading SNS to monitor their partner's activities and provide a foundation for future studies to investigate the potential negative implications this activity may have for those in romantic relationships.
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