Is digital media killing romance?

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - In today's digital world, people are more in touch with each other than ever. But does all that technology take a toll on romance?

In a new survey for CouponCabin.com, nearly 60 percent of single American adults said they think the Internet, social media, texting, and emailing make it harder for people to say how they feel in person.

It’s not just romantic conversations, though. Respondents to the survey said that when they are dating, texting is primary form of communication in general.

"I do think that chivalry is dead," Kelsie Wiechek of Chicopee said. It is a lot harder to be romantic when you have texting, because you share very intimate things not in person, and personal conversations do help."

And it's not just texting; people are constantly connected via email and social media, and that technology is taking a toll on their face-to-face social skills.

"Especially when confronting people in person, it seems to be kind of a challenge when it comes to bringing up the nerve to say something now. I've seen people break up through texts and stuff," Joseph Zammuto of Westfield said.

One woman told 22News people just use convenience as an excuse.

“For me, it doesn't take away personally talking to someone. It makes it easier nowadays for people to just send a text message, send a Facebook message,” Alexa Grelha of Ludlow said.

So while these forms of communication might make people a little less romantic face-to-face, they also open doors to give people more opportunities to meet in the first place. Almost 70% of the single American adults surveyed say that it's common to contact potential dates via social media sites like Facebook or Twitter.

Remember that no matter how you say or show your affection, something is always better than nothing.