ABSTRACT
Diana Rieger, University of Mannheim
The potential of ubiquitous mobile communication has implications on how people interact with their romantic partners. In order to review these implications, this chapter differentiates between three phases of intimate relationships, namely initiation, maintenance, and dissolution. Permanent connectedness is likely to have profound effects in each of these relationship stages: It has opened the way to start a relationship through online media, to work on maintaining it, for instance by sending text messages or becoming “Facebook official,” or to engage in new types of behavior after romantic breakups (e.g., monitoring ex-partners online). The chapter outlines positive and negative effects of permanent connectedness on intimate relationships and reflects on potential moderators of its impact.
