Online relationships may lead to speedy break-ups

Are you looking for a spouse or a companion on social media? Be careful in both the cases as it may result in a speedy break-up.

New study shows higher break-up rates for couples who met online compared to offline whether they were in marital or non-marital romantic relationships.

The increasing popularity of social media, online dating sites, and mobile applications for meeting people and initiating relationships has made online dating an effective means of finding a future spouse.

The first-of-its-kind study explored whether break-up rates for both marital and non-marital relationships differ depending on whether a couple first met online or offline.

"Additional factors besides the meeting venue can help predict whether a couple will stay together or break up," author wrote.

These may differ for marital versus non-marital relationships and include the quality and duration of the relationship.

"The time-tested qualities of trust and intimacy still remain important factors on determining whether a couple stays together, regardless of whether they meet offline or online," explained Brenda K. Wiederhold, from Virtual Reality Medical Institute in Brussels, Belgium and Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, California.

The findings were reported in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking.