The impact that social media and technology have had on individuals has been widely studied since their introduction into the mainstream consciousness. However, with so many well-documented public discussions centering around how social media affects body image, mental health, and focus, the ways in which romantic interactions have been impacted by the digital space have not gained widespread awareness or garnered serious concern. As social media and the digital space become more intertwined with the public’s day-to-day routine, the impact these technologies have on contemporary romantic relationships is enviable. As thousands flock to online dating platforms to meet potential romantic partners, it is abundantly clear that the integration of such technologies has played an unmistakable role in changing dating customs, creating new sources of conflict, shaping relationship expectations, overall satisfaction, and communication. This paper focuses on these five topics ending with suggestions regarding how unwanted romantic repercussions of social media can be mitigated. Although this paper will primarily focus on the negative effects of social media, as that is where most research points, a failure to acknowledge the benefits that social media can bring to modern relationships, would misrepresent the true impact of this digital shift.  By examining previous research conducted on these topics, this presentation strives to provide a well-rounded understanding of the ways in which social media can impact romantic relationships while starting an open conversation into the interpersonal ramifications of this technology and what that means to the ordinary individual and the future of romance. ​ As time progresses and culture evolves, the traditions and customs surrounding dating and romantic pursuits are subject to change as well. However, with the introduction of cellphones and social media, the rate in which these customs have changed has been expedited. In a 2020 PEW research article, it was found that 30% of American adults have reported using dating sites or dating apps (Anderson, et al., 2020, para.10). These popular dating platforms include Hinge, Bumble, and Tinder the latter of the three which reported 57 million users as of 2021 (Stancheva, 2021). Additionally, it would appear that younger generations express less hesitation when it comes to incorporating new technology into intimate aspects of their lives as the switching to dating apps as a means of initiating romance, is most popular among younger users and dwindles in popularity as age increases (Anderson, et al., 2020). This switch from more traditional ways of meeting a romantic partner becomes blatantly apparent in the interviews within the HBO documentary Swiped: Hooking up in the Digital Age (Sales, 2018). In the first five minutes of the film, a young man reflects back on when he could call a romantic interest over the phone and have a conversation. After a brief reflection, he states that “if you called someone these days you would probably get labeled a psychopath” (00:04:02). This serves as a clear example of how new technology can push out the old, rendering the obsolete or strange by contemporary standards. This sentiment is later echoed in another interview with a young woman and her peers. While describing the ideal meeting of a romantic partner where she would be asked on a date in person, she expressed that she “feel[s] like that doesn’t really happen anymore” (00:10:27). The change this woman is talking about could be for a variety of reasons, however, John Suler’s online disinhibition effect (2004) may be the best candidate for explaining this change. Asking someone on a date is no small task and the risk of rejection can be daunting for many individuals. Dating apps allow for the expression of interest and initial conversation to be asynchronous and semi-anonymous. Because of this, young people feel comfortable taking their dating lives into the digital space and the act of expressing romantic interest face-to-face becomes less favorable because more accommodating options are available. Whatever the reason for the switch from meeting a romantic interest in-person to swiping through potential mates online, the effect of the digital age on contemporary dating standards has been immense and become most obvious when looking to the younger generations. How this change will continue to manifest within digitally formed romantic relationships is still unknown. However, it is clear that the introduction of dating apps has uprooted tradition and guided the future of dating customs into uncharted waters. ​  With the mainstream adoption of cellphones and increasing use of social media, contemporary romantic relationships have been challenged in ways prior relationships never seen before. One of these ways in which social media challenges romantic partners is jealousy. Although jealousy is not a new concept, social media has exasperated this feeling by opening doors for contact that would have been invisible without this technology. A study focusing on jealousy in adolescence and social media posts (Van Ouytsel et al., 2019), found that emotions such as distrust and jealousy were exacerbated by a romantic partner’s posted images with opposite-sex friends (p. 8). Although these friends may not be romantically involved with the other, the act of displaying such a friendship on a public platform can be read as a threat to romantic partners. Building off the idea of jealousy, social media also provides the opportunity for some romantic partners to slide down the path of toxic behavior. A study focusing on online forums, storytelling, and intimate partner surveillance (Bellini et al., 2021) uncovered the role that the online world can have in helping romantic partners perpetrate intimate partner surveillance. This study found that, through the act of storytelling on online infidelity forums, potential perpetrators of intimate partner surveillance were able to rationalize their suspicion of perceived cheating through the stories told of others’ experiences. These stories were enough to not only validate suspicions but also encourage the actions they wanted to take to surveil their partners (pg. 22). Although social media is, in no way, a cause for internal problems such as jealousy or toxic and controlling behavior, it can serve as a tool to amplify these traits. Increasing awareness of the potential these platforms have to worsen problematic behavior is crucial to preventing the invasion of privacy and help prevent individuals from falling into the traps of storytelling forums. ​ Similar to the change in dating customs, social media and the introduction of cellphones can play a part in shaping contemporary relational expectations. In a study conducted by Demircioğlu and Göncü Köse (2018) online media platforms were cited as a main source for relational dissatisfaction as social media allows an individual to glimpse into the lives of peers and the outcome of their relationships (p. 22). By building ideas on what romantic relationships should look like off of social media posts, individuals are setting themselves up for failure. Social media serves as a place to disclose only the highlights of life. If this is all a person consumes, they may develop inflated ideas and expectation of what a romantic relationship should be. In a study regarding mobile phones and romantic relationships, it was suggested that high expectations regarding the availability of partners may be heightened by the widespread adoption of mobile phones (Duran et al., 2011). Aside from the expectations regarding the amount of contact over the phone, there are also expectations of hitting representative milestones through online mediums of communication. Snapchat, a popular platform for image sending and text communication, is known for categorizing relationships between people with symbolic emojis next to the person’s name. These emojis can represent how many days two people have sent snaps to one another, the top people one is contacted with, and a yellow heart symbolized mutually being the other ‘s most contacted person. Earning this symbolic emoji takes time and dedication towards using this platform to communicate and achieving this symbol is a big deal, however losing it can be just as big of a deal. In Anya Eydelman’s article titled, The Yellow Heart Effect: Snapchat Relationships by Emoji (Eydelman, 2021), she discusses the questions that arise in many people once this status symbol is lost. Questions such as whether or not one’s romantic partner is being loyal, and the meanings associated with the loss of this symbol (para. 9). It is a cultural expectation that two people within a romantic relationship share this symbol, and if a couple does not meet this milestone, their commitment to the relationship may be thrown into question by a significant other or by peers. Between social media and the mainstream adoption of new technology, contemporary relationship expectations have been drastically changed. Expectations regarding what a relationship should look like, how often partners should contact one another, and the introduction of new milestones have all played their part in transforming relational expectations. Although these changes to romantic expectations are not necessarily negative, conflict can arise from differing value placed on these expectations between partners. Therefore, in the current dating environment, it is important for romantic partners to discuss what expectations they hold for one another and the relationship in order to find common ground and mutual understanding. Not only can social media and digital technology change the way relationships work, but it would also appear that these technologies can affect overall relationship satisfaction as well. A study conducted by Quiroz and Mickelson (2021) found that men’s relationship satisfaction, in particular, was negatively impacted by the amount of active social media use they participated in (p.12). Although this finding suggests a correlation between social media and relational satisfaction, no suggestion for a causation was reported. A possible cause for this correlation was suggested however, by the aforementioned study by Zeynep Isil Demircioğlu and Asli Göncü Köse (2018) where insight into the romantic lives of peers through social media was cited as a main factor of relationship dissatisfaction (p. 22).  Unlike Quiroz and Mickelson, these findings were not specific to either gender and presented a potential reason for the correlation between social media use and dropping relationship satisfaction. This suggestion was put to the test in a study focusing on romantic relationships and excessive social media use (Bouffard et al., 2021) which found that prolonged Instagram usage could negatively impact satisfaction within a relationship (pg. 8).  As humans have an innate desire to compare things, it would make sense that comparing one’s reality to what is seen online could lead to inflated expectations and disappointment in the reality.  However, modern technology can have benefits to relational satisfaction specifically in regard to the use of cell phones within a relationship. In a study centering around cellphone usage and the implications of that usage on satisfaction within romantic relationships (Miller-Ott et al., 2012), it was found that “satisfaction with cell phone usage within the relationship is positively and strongly associated with relational satisfaction” (pg. 29). However, couples who reported the highest satisfaction with cellphone usage in their relationships, set parameters for usage mainly setting rules about not fighting or discussing interpersonal conflict over the phone. This study concluded by suggesting that people who maintained constant contact with one another, felt more satisfied within their relationships (pg. 29). Considering the evidence, it would appear that cell phones and social media can have both good and bad implications on romantic relationship satisfaction. Comparison through social media can lead to heightened expectations and disappointment however, the more contact couples are able to have with one another using cellphones, the more satisfaction they report within their relationships. It would appear that the context in which technology is used has much to do with the mixed reports on their impact regarding satisfaction. With the information provided, individuals can cognitively make the choice to cut down media time to improve relational satisfaction, therefore lessening the negative aspect this technological development can have on relationships and highlighting the positive ramifications of this technology. With so many modern devices being centered around the development of human communication, it would be foolish to ignore how these technologies have impacted communication within romantic relationships themselves. One way in which communication is impacted by social media and cellphone usage is the negotiation between time spent on technological devices and time actively communicating with romantic partners. In a 2020 PEW article, it was found that 51% of adults in committed relationships reported that their partner was often on their phone when they were trying to communicate with them (Vogels & Anderson, 2020, para.15). Active listening is a huge component of communication, when phones serve as a distraction, they inhibit effective communication which in turn builds conflict. However, refusing to put the phone down, in general, can also lead to issues. The same PEW study found that amongst the partnered adults studied “40% were bothered by the amount of time their partner spends on their cellphone” (fig.4). A connecting idea to these findings can be found in the Journal of Sexuality and Culture (Hughes et al., 2021). According to this article, the amount of time spent on social media is negatively correlated to the amount of relationship conflict disclosure to peers, family, or romantic partners (p. 1041). Healthy communication is vital to a successful relationship. If one partner is unable or unwilling to disclose perceived conflict to their partner, then those issues will only continue. However, advancing technology’s impact is not just limited to active listening and communicating problems. With the lack of nonverbal cues in many forms of online communication, the opportunity for miscommunication is abundant. Meghan Isaf (2020) spoke on this issue in her study focusing on the role of social media in dating trends amongst college students. Here, she noted that it is challenging to correctly interpret romantic gestures and expressions of intimacy through online mediums (p. 61). This statement was in accordance with the findings of a separate study (Delva et al., 2014) which found that found that after surveying 135 participants, 25% of them felt that social media and texting hurt geographically distance relationships due to the prevalence of miscommunication (p.16). Different forms of online communication lack certain things found in face-to-face communication. Without aspects such as tone, proximity, and body language, it can be difficult to decipher the message and goal of communication which can lead to misinterpretations. These misinterpretations, if unresolved can advance or lead to relational conflict. Although social media and phones allow for farm more communication between partners, the quality and effectiveness of that communication can fall victim to miscommunication and become digital distractions. If these potential problems are to be mitigated, it is imperative to be aware of their existence and make a cognitive effort to know what medium to communicate over and when to put the phone down and observe the world outside the digital space. ​ This essay sought to better understand the multiple ways in which a romantic relationship can be impacted by social media and advancing technology. Through examining the research of others, this paper explored how traditions and previous customs around dating have been changed by the digital age, how social media can present new and novel challenges to romantic relationships, how social media shaping contemporary relationship expectations, the digital ages impact of relationship satisfaction, and how technology has changed communication within relationships. Through achieving a better understanding of these topics, the multiple ways in which modern romantic relationships are impacted become clearer. Although social media and technology has opened many doors for romantic potential, there are a lot of new threats facing twenty-first-century couples. Through gaining an understanding of social media and advancing technologies' role in shaping these threats, individuals can cognitively evaluate their media usage and make changes accordingly to preserve the integrity of their romantic relations.