Exploring Online Romance in India During COVID-19: A Case of Committed vs. Casual Romantic Relationships

Building on the uses and gratifications approach and social compensation hypothesis, the present study examines the impact of online romance on relationship apprehension, loneliness, perceived internet essentiality, and relationship initiation. A total of 624 young adults (Mage = 20.95 years; 404 women, 220 men) engaged in online romance participated in the study. Of these, 266 reported to be in a committed relationship, and 358 reported to be engaged in casual romantic relationships. Data were collected via an online survey created using Google Forms, and distributed through email, WhatsApp, and social media to students from various Indian higher educational institutions. The survey included a study overview, informed consent, and questions based on both standardized and self-developed scales. Participation was voluntary, and consent was obtained before filling out the form. Results showed both committed and casual participants were highly involved in online romance during the lockdown period. However, moderator analysis revealed that online romance reduces relationship apprehension (B = -.24, SE = .03, t = 9.51, p<.001, f2 = .166) and loneliness (B = -.32, SE = .06, t = 5.66, p<.001, f2 = .054) among committed couples but intensifies these mental states for casual relationship individuals. Furthermore, it shows that online romance correlates significantly with perceived internet essentiality, regardless of commitment status (B = -.04, SE = .04, t = 0.88, p = .379, f2 = .001), and catalyzes relationship initiation among casual relationship participants but holds no such influence on committed couples (B = -.16, SE= .05, t = 2.95, p = .003, f2 = .02). The results overall shows that while the impact of online romance were beneficial for committed individuals, it had negative impact on individuals involved in casual relationship. This study contributes valuable insights into the multifaceted role of online romance in contemporary relationships.