Overview
- The peer-reviewed research, led by Emily Van Duyn of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, appears in New Media & Society.
- Participants reported that false claims and conspiracy content created incompatible versions of truth that undermined intimacy and trust.
- The cases spanned committed dating to decades-long marriages, including disputes over COVID-19 vaccination and a divorce following QAnon immersion.
- Van Duyn notes platforms’ recommendation systems can encourage prolonged engagement with conspiratorial material, deepening ideological isolation.
- The study is qualitative and not a measure of prevalence, but it highlights how media habits can meaningfully strain romantic relationships.