Facebook is changing the dynamics of relationships and breeding a new ‘jealous generation’, according to a study.
Canada’s University of Guelph surveyed 308 students and found that public exposure to information about a partner on Facebook can lead to a pattern of jealous cyber-surveillance.
“Anecdotal evidence of discussions with undergraduates points to a common perception that Facebook causes jealousy and negatively impacts romantic and sexual relationships,” says the study.
The study found that with Facebook allowing people to make their information public and open to scrutiny, it paves the way for jealous individuals to become suspect about certain behaviours and see things out of context.
According to Anne Hollonds, CEO of Relationships Australia in New South Wales, social networks are changing the way we interact with each other and how relationships function.
“People are engaging with their Facebook friends and there’s a lot more people involved. What it means is, people need to negotiate the rules of their friendships as well as their romantic relationships in a different way,” she told ABC News Online.
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