Is Twitter Ruining Marriages?
Are Spouses Sacrificing Their Marriage for Social Media Sites?
In light of recent Twitter flubs and sex scandals, Christians have been questioning the "health" of a relationship between marriage and technology.
One main life-vein between marriage and technology is the social networking site Twitter. The website allows users to write whatever they want, as long as they can fit their comment into 140 characters. The casualness of the site has led to a free-for-all approach to status updates and online activity.
When Kim Kardashian announced her plans to divorce Kris Humphries after 72 days, she "unfollowed" her soon-to-be ex-husband on Twitter. This was the ultimate slight in the Twitter world, as it is the cyber equivalent of emotional disinterest.
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Kardashian tweeted "God always has your back!" shortly after unfollowing Humphries.
Actor Ashton Kutcher made headlines last month when he reportedly cheated on his wife of six years, Demi Moore, on their anniversary.
Kutcher and Moore both took an arguably overzealous approach to Twitter to express their feelings.
"As a woman, a mother and a wife there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen to move forward with my life," Moore tweeted.
Kutcher tweeted a statement which many say devalued his relationship with Moore due to its generic nature: "Marriage is one of the most difficult things in the world and unfortunately sometimes they fail."
As the Rev. Mike and Trisha Fox confirm, social media may be new, but marital problems are age-old.
"All the problems in marriage have been happening before social media ever came about," the Rev. Mike and Trisha Fox of Marriagefortoday.com told The Christian Post.
Trisha and Mike are marriage coaches, authors, and founders of Marriage for Today. The couple also contribute to The Christian Post as columnists.
"If the relationship or marriage is in trouble […] the couple is going to seek out any type of tool to get out of the relationship or use it in a negative way," affirmed Mike and Trisha.
"It's not necessarily a social media issue, it's a heart and a relationship issue," they added.
A celebrity’s livelihood revolves around his or her media personality. Headline news, Twitter and Facebook, combined with a good shot of controversy, keep celebrities relevant and on the media's short attention-span radar. The Kardashian family, for example, has built an entire empire on promoting themselves; Kim even had her $10 million wedding sponsored by the E! Entertainment Network.
The Rev. Mike and Trisha Fox said that although celebrities should practice more discretion when advertising their personal life to the world, they are not surprised by celebrities' outlandish actions.
"We can't expect them to meet our standards when it takes God and everything God gives us to maintain our marriages," they told CP.
As the Rev. Mike and Trisha Fox contend, divorce rates in conservative Christian groups are often higher than those of non-believers.
"If we are having a hard time within our own ranks, how can we expect more from people living in Hollywood, living in a dream," the couple said.
A celebrity's influence inevitably trickles down into the public's sub-conscious.
Recently Alyse Bradley of Utah advertised her husband for sale on Craigslist due to his obsession with videogames.
"I didn't ever think anyone would reply to this, but it's gotten so much attention," Alyse said.
"It's just funny," her husband added.
Marriage and Family therapist Dr. Karen Ruskin believes the world is currently encountering a "Relationship Revolution," arguing that "social media affects us and we affect what is acceptable in social media; it's a cyclical pattern."
"I do believe social media is absolutely impacting not only marriages but the actual definition of what relationships are as well as what's acceptable communication," Ruskin told CP.
Ruskin recently released "Dr. Karen's Marriage Manual," which discusses social media's role in modern-day relationships.
"All of this is intertwined. We've become a much more 'show your cards' culture and yet none of us really knows what goes on behind closed doors. There are skeletons in every closet," she added.
