The role technology plays for online teen relationships
Our research found that the majority of teens see the role the internet plays when they build relationships to be positive. 52% of children agreed that tech and social media made it easier to sustain a relationship with 24% saying they find it easier to find love on the internet.
Communication between children doesn’t just begin or end at school and having a medium such as the internet or social media, allows them access to each other 24/7.
Teens can freely express their feelings and attraction by liking, commenting and interacting with a love interest at any time and these exchanges can help them find information about a potential partner.
The link between on and offline relationships
Whilst technology doesn’t neccesarily replace face-to-face interactions in some aspects, it is now an integral part of young people’s relationships. Teens online behaviours may create real-life problems offline, like abuse, negative thoughts and perceptions of themselves or others.
Online relationships are based on limited information and so a teen who forms online relationships and only knows so much about that person.
The lack of teens experiencing engaging in real-life relationships can hurt their ability to develop healthy relationships and therefore can have an impact on how they view what a healthy relationship looks like.
This can especially happen if your child is missing out on real-life relationships as they spend too much time online and may be missing out on opportunities how to learn and practice skills that allow healthy relationships to develop.