Quality trumps quantity, even in digital communication.
A new study published in the Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy surveyed 276 men and women around age 22 in meaningful relationships.
Among the participants, 38% were in a serious relationship, 46% were engaged and 16% were married, Time reports.
Each participant agreed that they use texts to communicate with their significant others. Those who sent loving messages also reported higher satisfaction with their relationship. In this case, texting as a way of communicating loving messages or messages of relationship validation was an effective way to enhance romance.
In terms of message volume:
Men who texted more often in general reported lower relationship quality than those who didn’t ping their significant others as frequently. The researchers can only speculate about why, but suspect that as men disconnect from a relationship, or consider a break-up, they replace face-to-face interactions with less intimate communication in the form of increased texting.
Women who texted more reported higher quality connections with their partners, citing that they used texting to work out problems and differences when their realtionship hit rough waters. Women were reported to make up via text, which "scientists believe is the online version of the need to “talk things out.”"