Spouse and Dating Relationships

The next question I want to address is the question of how Internet communication benefits or harms relationships between couples who are married or dating. In this post, when I refer to "relationships" I am referring specifically to marriage or dating relationships.
It was difficult for me to find research on this topic, particularly sources that discussed the positive effects of the Internet on relationships. However, based on some of the other research I have done so far, as well as my own observations and experiences, I believe I can nevertheless extrapolate some of these effects.
Much of what I learned was negative. My primary source of information on this topic was an article discussing compulsive internet use and relationship quality. Specifically, the article analyzed relationships between newlyweds. Within the article, several conclusions were made; none of them surprised me very much. Overall, it was found that higher levels of Internet use were associated with lower relationship quality and less intimacy within the relationship. It was also found to be associated with a lower degree of passion in both partners, but only less intimacy among one partner at a time. The article concluded that more research on this topic needs to be done and that future studies could focus on what individuals in these relationships do when they spend time on the Internet. Also, it was uncertain whether the relationship was a causal one, or simply a correlation (1).
I believe that this correlation between Internet use and deteriorating relationships between couples is significant. It seems evident to me that if a spouses are spending time online, they are generally not spending that time with one another. It is possible that couples generally don't believe more time with one another is needed, because they already spend so much time together in person. Therefore, when they are online, they participate in various other activities that don't contribute to their relationship. The more they do this, the weaker their relationship becomes over time.
An important question is whether a greater degree of Internet use causes poorer relationships, or whether poorer relationships lead to higher degrees of Internet use. I can see this going both ways, depending on the spouses in question. Increased Internet use may begin simply as a harmless activity that then harms the relationship, or it can begin with a desire to "escape" the frustrations of the relationship and find companionship elsewhere.
Despite these real issues, I can see some potentially positive results from Internet use for married couples as well. Spouses can employ social media and email to keep in touch with one another when they can't be together in person. They can use the Internet to create blogs, videos, images, and other media to share the joys of their family life with others, simultaneously causing them to better recognize the joys of their relationship. The fact that the Internet seems to be becoming more focused on bringing people together all across the world may have a tremendous benefit not only to married couples, but to their extended families as well.
Ultimately, it seems evident that whether the Internet is harmful or not to relationships depends upon the way it is used, and the amount of time that is devoted to it. Because a marriage is a significant relationship that requires a lot of time and sacrifice to maintain, there is likely not much time available for Internet use. Therefore, a healthy balance, if created early in a relationship, could make a world of difference for relationship quality.

1) Kerkhof, Peter; Finkenauer, Catrin. "Relationship Quality and Compulsive Internet Use: A Study Among Newlywed Couples." Conference Papers - International Communication Association Annual Meeting (2008): 25. Print.