Television viewing and romantic relationships - The downside: a cultivation exploration

Abstract

This chapter reviews a series of studies that examined the connection between TV viewing and the quality of romantic relationships. The results indicate a negative pattern of associations between excessive viewing and indicators of the quality of intimate relationships and that heavy TV viewing nurtures Lodus, Pragma and Eros love styles. Romantic battles on the screen differ significantly in their reason from similar conflicts in the real world. Altogether, it seems that TV viewing is not healthy to the development of a committed long lasting relationship. The findings are analyzed mainly from a cultivation perspective, but selective exposure is also discussed as a potential explanation.