Forget the seven-year itch, couples are now most likely to break-up after two years and nine months thanks to Twitter and Facebook, research suggests.
Experts used to say that after seven years, couples get bored or start arguing more – but anyone expecting to coast through the early years of a relationship should take note. This new poll of 2000 people, looking into the impact of modern society on Britons’ romantic lives, says that the average romance lasts far less than half the time previously thought. 
79 per cent of people said they had been actively using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram prior to the break-up. Over 54 per cent of people blamed social media for the reduced length of relationships, with a third saying that their ex had met someone new online or had been flirting over social media. Nearly a quarter added that they rushed into a new relationship having though they knew the other person well because of their
online profiles. 17 per cent thought that they or their partner spent too long on
Facebook and Twitter, rather than communicating face to face.
The range of relationship statuses of the people involved in the study suggests that this shorter than average length for a relationship applies whether or not a couple is married. 24 per cent of those questioned had been married, 41 per cent had lived together and 35 per cent lived separately prior to their break-up.
Experts suggest taking time out from social media can significantly improve a relationship. Hannah Green, researcher at OnePlusOne, told the Daily Mail: “Spending time together and communicating well with your partner is of great importance for building healthy and lasting relationships.
“With technology now being constantly available we may need to find time to put down the computers and smartphones and actually concentrate on each other. Even one hour a day of quality time can make a huge difference to the quality of a relationship.”
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