Want to save your relationship? A study says that Whatsapp should be used exclusively.
Scientists have discovered that the messaging application gives quarreling spouses “another location to fight and make up.”
Written correspondence offers spouses time to re-read and consider their partner’s perspective, even though this may not sound particularly useful.
Emojis also help individuals better communicate their emotions, and the app allows users to “hash it out” online so they can be more at ease in person.
Dr. Gali Einav of Israel’s Reichman University stated, “WhatsApp correspondence not only provides an alternative forum to conduct the relationship, but it can also assist save it.”
The purpose of the study was to examine how Whatsapp has altered the way Generation X (individuals born between the early 1960s and the late 1970s) conducts relationships.
Researchers interviewed 18 couples, all of whom were between the ages of 35 and 50 and had been together for more than five years.
They examined the three primary types of angry encounters that psychologists believe couples engage in real life — avoidance, emotional, and rational — to determine how they manifested on the texting app.
‘Avoidant’ husbands and spouses argued in silence and generally ignored each other’s signals. Those that were “emotional” would send a steady barrage of Whatsapp messages to vent their fury. And the ‘rationals’ would reread their spouse’s texts to better comprehend their arguments.
The study was based on the theories of Professor John Gottman, a very influential psychologist and therapist who asserted that the ability to resolve disputes was the cornerstone of a healthy relationship.
Dr. Einav stated, “Ultimately, conflict resolution is necessary for maintaining good relationships.” We may utilize this knowledge to improve our relationships if we have a deeper understanding of our fighting habits.
‘Among Generation X, there is a belief that face-to-face communication is superior to digital discourse, but we’ve found that this is not always the case.
It provides an additional platform for relationship maintenance.
“We may reread texts to better comprehend our spouses, vent our anger digitally, and grow more at ease in person.”
We can also send emoticons to communicate our emotions.
The study from Reichman University is published in New Media & Society, a major communications journal.
