CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — A study by researchers at the University of Illinois found that individuals’ media habits can impact their relationships — even contributing to the end of some romantic partnerships.

Emily Van Duyn, a professor of communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, surveyed 28 people who had recently ended a romantic relationship due to political differences.

The participants were involved in relationships that ranged from committed dating relationships to living together to years of marriage. Their political ideologies — and their partner’s ideologies — ranged from Libertarian, Conservative, Democrat, Republican and Progressive.

Van Duyn’s findings indicate that disinformation and misinformation can cause as large a divide in public spheres — such as media and social media — as in private relationships.

“It’s important to note that these relationships were not doomed for failure because of differing political beliefs,” the author said. “They failed, at least in part, because those differing beliefs were associated with different realities that disrupted a shared identity and shared reality with their partner.”

One of Van Duyn’s key findings was that the participants’ experiences went beyond political disagreements. False information created alternate realities that strained romantic relationships to the breaking point.

Van Duyn explained that people expect their partners to share a similar view of the world. This can help foster happiness and closeness in romantic partnerships. But when one partner fixates on extreme or false political information, it can cause significant tension.

“This kind of rabbit-holing behavior is often associated with online conspiracy groups or content because it drives people to persistently dig further into similar topics or theories,” Van Duyn told the U of I News Bureau. “There’s some evidence that platforms — and social media platforms in particular — are feeding this behavior because their algorithms are recommending things or queuing up videos to play next that entice viewers to continue their engagement with the information for extended periods.”

Van Duyn said one couple’s months-long relationship fell apart after they disagreed on the need to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Another couple — who previously shared similar views — ended their 23-year marriage after one of them became immersed in conspiracy group culture.

Van Duyn found that some people built their identities around conspiracy theories, while others embraced media sources their partners found untrustworthy. This led to couples feeling forced to choose between validating their partners or validating what they believed to be true.

Van Duyn concluded that individuals’ media habits are intertwined with their relationships, and that consuming misinformation or disinformation can widen the divide between romantic partners.

You can read more about the study here.