Couples Communication of Rules and Boundaries for Technology and the Internet

Over the past fifteen years, technology and internet use has rapidly grown and has a great impact on individuals and their relationships. Researchers with the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that couples report that the Internet has had a significant impact on their relationship – both positive and negative (Lenhart & Duggan, 2014). Positive impacts include helping maintain relationships, increasing connection, and giving more options for long distance relationships to stay connected. Despite the potential for technology to enhance intimacy and satisfaction in couple relationships, technology also has the potential to negatively impact relationships with common concerns including online infidelity and problematic or compulsive use. Problematic and compulsive use have been found to diminish time spent with one’s partner, decrease emotional support, reduced ability to resolve conflict, and lower levels of intimacy. The vulnerabilities that today’s couples face due to the