Apr 07, 2014 01:29 PM EDT By Jaleesa Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Twitter and other social networking services may be damaging to romantic relationships, according to a recent study Time.com reported.

Russell Clayton, a doctoral student in the University Of Missouri School Of Journalism, found that active Twitter users are far more likely to experience negative relationship outcomes, including emotional and physical cheating, breakup and divorce, Time.com reported.

For the study, Clayton surveyed 581 Twitter users of all ages. Study participants were asked about their Twitter use such as how often they login to Twitter, tweet, scroll the Twitter newsfeed, send direct messages to others, and reply to followers.  Clayton also asked how much, if any, conflict arose between participants' current or former partners as a result of Twitter use.

Clayton found that the more often a respondent reported being active on Twitter, the more likely they were to experience Twitter-related conflict with their partner, which then significantly predicted negative relationship outcomes such as cheating, breakup and divorce. He found that these outcomes occurred regardless of duration of relationship.

"I found it interesting that active Twitter users experienced Twitter-related conflict and negative relationship outcomes regardless of length of romantic relationship," Clayton said in a statement. "Couples who reported being in relatively new relationships experienced the same amount of conflict as those in longer relationships."

If Twitter is having an adverse effect on relationships, Clayton recommends that  couples of all ages limit their daily and weekly use of social networking sites to more healthy, reasonable levels.

"Although a number of variables can contribute to relationship infidelity and separation, social networking site usage, such as Twitter and Facebook use, can be damaging to relationships," Clayton said. "Therefore, users should cut back to moderate, healthy levels of Twitter use if they are experiencing Twitter or Facebook -- related conflict."

The findings were recently published online in the journal of Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.

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