Digital Uses and Marital Dynamics: Whatsapp as a Vector for Weakening Marital Vitality and Obscuring Marital Secrets
Domaine:
socioeconomicType de record:
paper
Créateur:
KocMahAbeAko
Éditeur:
Exc
Hôte:
This article analyzes the impact of digital technologies—particularly the instant messaging service WhatsApp—on the vitality of marital bonds and the preservation of marital secrets in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on Benin. Starting from a fundamental tension between the ideal of marital intimacy promoted by African social norms and the reality of widespread hyperconnectivity, the study employs the Uses and Gratifications theory (Katz et al., 1974) and the theory of managing communicational boundaries (Petronio, 2002) as interpretive frameworks. Methodologically, the research relies on a systematic analysis of secondary data from national surveys, African studies, and international reports. The results reveal that the intensive use of WhatsApp leads to a reconfiguration of intimacy spaces, fosters the emergence of digital infidelity, and weakens traditional mechanisms of marital regulation. These findings call for digital education policies that incorporate a marital and family dimension.
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