The Role of Digitalization in Intimate Relationships of Russians

This study aims to identify and describe the role of digitalization in the intimate relationships of Russians. The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between manifestations of digitalization (Internet addiction; porn addiction; use of the Internet for interpersonal communication) and satisfaction with intimate relationships among Russians. Three hypotheses were put forward: (H1) Internet addiction and (H2) porn addiction are negatively related to satisfaction with intimate relationships, and (H3) using the Internet for interpersonal communication is positively related to satisfaction with intimate relationships) and the research question was posed: “How does the role of digitalization manifestations in satisfaction with intimate relationships differ between people in and out of permanent relationships?”. The study involved 374 Russians between the ages of 18 and 63 (average age - 28.1). Of them: 207 men (55.3%) and 167 women (44.7%). The majority of respondents (66.6%) live in cities with a million inhabitants. Also, the majority (73.1%) have higher education. About half of the people in the sample (50.3%) are in a permanent relationship. A path model of the study was constructed and a multigroup analysis was conducted. The study showed that Internet use for interpersonal communication is positively related to satisfaction with intimate relationships. In turn, Internet addiction and porn addiction were negatively related to intimacy satisfaction. The multigroup analysis showed that the sub-samples “In a relationship” and “Not in a relationship” are mainly distinguished by the fact that in people in permanent relationships, porn addiction is not related to satisfaction with intimate relationships. Thus, digitalization in general, and its various manifestations in particular, cannot be characterized as unambiguously harmful or helpful to people in the context of intimate relationships. It can be concluded that people should use the products of digitalization with caution and selectivity: one should try not to abuse being on the Internet and stay away from online pornography in order to be more satisfied with one's intimate life. Keywords: digitalization, intimate relationships, romantic relationships, cyberpsychology, Internet technology, Internet addiction.