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2024COM007.pdf
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01/05/2026
Doctoral thesis

Visual communication on social network sites for maintaining romantic relationships

  • 2024

PhD: Università della Svizzera italiana

Visual communication
Romantic relationships
Social network sites
Relationship maintenance
Repertoire-oriented approach
English This cumulative dissertation explores the role of visual communication on social network sites (SNSs) for maintaining romantic relationships in Switzerland. Communication on SNSs, such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, is increasingly based on visual content (Hand, 2022; Leaver et al., 2020), and visual communication is largely adopted in the everyday communication repertoires of romantic partners (Linke, 2011; Venema & Lobinger, 2020). Due to the associative logic of the visual modality (Messaris, 1998; Müller, 2007), visual communication is suitable for eliciting emotions and fostering intimacy (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006; Lobinger et al., 2021), and the use of visuals has been associated with several social functions that are important for relationship maintenance (Keightley & Pickering, 2014; Van House et al., 2004). Although visual communication is crucial for relationship maintenance and central to SNSs, the systematic literature review conducted in Study 1 revealed a lack of research on the role of visual communication on SNSs in maintaining romantic relationships. To address this gap, we adopt a repertoire-oriented approach, focusing on partners’ communication repertoires rather than SNSs as standalone platforms. In Studies 2-4, we conducted a combination of pair and individual semi-structured interviews with 21 couples, integrating visual and verbal elicitation techniques to explore individual and relational perspectives on visual communication on SNSs. We employed a texto-material perspective (Siles & Boczkowski, 2012) to analyze the role of visual communication, considering practices of use to highlight the efforts in meaning-making with visual elements. Study 2 provides insights into the social functions of visual interpersonal communication on SNSs and its’ unique role within partners’ communication repertoire. Study 3 examines how visual communication can contribute to interpersonal conflicts in everyday practices and mundane sharing. Study 4 explores how romantic partners navigate social norms in visual communication on SNSs to balance individual and relational needs.Overall, the findings underscore the centrality of visual content in romantic partners’ use of SNSs. Visual communication fosters connection, humor, and engagement, enhancing bonding, mutual understanding, and intimacy. Exchanging visuals on SNSs helps partners navigate a “relational temporality” by resurrecting past memories, envisioning future experiences, and sharing present moments. However, it is also helpful to accomplish pragmatic daily tasks. Sharing couple pictures on SNSs can convey public intimacy and relational awareness, enhancing relationship satisfaction and a sense of exclusivity. However, partners need to carefully negotiate and make shared decisions regarding visual sharing on SNSs, as discussing and agreeing on SNS use can be crucial for balancing relational and individual needs. The findings also show that partners sometimes lack proper visual literacy and underestimate SNSs’ role in their communication repertoire. These two aspects can prevent partners from recognizing and reflecting on the polysemic nature of the visual modality and the consequences of their online visual sharing, leading to misunderstanding, conflicts, and dissatisfaction that are detrimental to relationship maintenance. Overall, the dissertation contributes to communication and media studies and research on interpersonal relationships in Switzerland. It sets the stage for ongoing exploration into the role of visual communication on SNSs in maintaining romantic relationships, and it offers practical guidance for responsible visual communication in everyday life, countering the often highlighted negative consequences of technologies and promoting a more balanced view of SNS use. These insights aim to guide theoretical advancement and practical applications in communication studies.
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Language
  • English
Classification
Information, communication and media sciences
License
License undefined
Open access status
green
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https://n2t.net/ark:/12658/srd1329757
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