Sexting Between Couples Can Lead To Less Satisfaction In Relationships, Study Finds

While sexting in a relationship may seem like it could bring a couple closer together, a new study found that those who sext frequently generally aren’t any more satisfied in their relationship than those who don’t sext at all.

In fact, people who sext frequently actually scored lower than non-sexters and word-only sexters when it comes to relationship variables like commitment, conflict and ambivalence, said the study. While there is no set definition of sexting, it’s generally accepted as the sending or receiving of sexually explicit messages or photos through technology.

The findings on sexting were published in Computers in Human Behavior and looked at four specific types of sexters. Participants in the study were put into one of four categories based on the way they sext.

The study grouped the 615 American and Canadian participants into non-sexters, word-only sexters, frequent sexters and hyper sexters and defined a sexting as sharing sexual words and images through technology. Then the researchers compared the relationship factors, indicators of individual well-being as well as each participant’s technology behaviors, according to the study.

The results showed that those who are frequent or hyper-sexters reported higher levels of sexual satisfaction in their relationships but similar levels of relationship satisfaction to those who were non-sexters and word-only sexters. However, the frequent and hyper-sexters viewers porn more, were more likely to have their technology interrupt in-person interactions with their partner and were also more likely to partake in what the authors call “infidelity-related behaviors on social media.”

The lead author on the study, Adam Galovan, told Folio that he thinks people who sext a lot might be putting too much focus on the sexual part of their relationship and not enough focus on other important areas. The fact that those who sext more frequently also have the highest levels of technology interference in their in-person interaction shows that those people are trying to reach the end goal of a good relationship, without putting in the hard work in person, according to Galovan.