Social Media as an (Un)Supportive Resource for Military Partners Coping With Military Lifestyle Challenges

• DOI: 10.1177/0095327X20974391
• Author: Kelly R. Rossetto,Jennifer S. Owlett
• Published date: 01 April 2022
• Date: 01 April 2022
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0095327X20974391

Armed Forces & Society

2022, Vol. 48(2) 440 –463

© The Author(s) 2020

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DOI: 10.1177/0095327X20974391

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Article

Social Media as an

(Un)Supportive Resource

for Military Partners

Coping With Military

Lifestyle Challenges

Kelly R. Rossetto

1

and Jennifer S. Owlett

2

Abstract

The current study explored how romantic partners of active-duty service members

perceived social media as (un)supportive when dealing with military lifestyle chal-

lenges. This study also explored coping and support paradoxes as they play out when

military partners are using social media to help them cope. Twenty-four partners

(female, n¼22; male, n¼2) participated in interviews. Participants reported mostly

using Facebook (e.g., spouse groups) for dealing with military lifestyle challenges.

Supportive functions included seeking and providing support and relational main-

tenance and development. Unsupportive functions included reinforced boundaries

and support breakdowns. Findings are discussed with a focus on communal coping

and coping and support paradoxes.

Keywords

social media, support, coping, communal coping, paradox, military

The military lifestyle is stressful for service members and their partners and has been

described as an emotional roller coaster, filled with extreme highs and lows (Dimi-

celi et al., 2010; Drummet et al., 2003; Gleiman & Swearengen, 2012; Knobloch

1

Department of Communication and Media, Boise State University, ID, USA

2

Department of Communication, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ, USA

Corresponding Author:

Kelly R. Rossetto, Department of Communication and Media, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA.

Email: kellyrossetto@boisestate.edu

et al., 2017). Military partners encounter stressors that civilians face, and they can

also experience unique demands such as frequent relocation, separation, and reinte-

gration (Blaisure et al., 2012; Sayers, 2011). These demands often create adjustment

stressors (e.g., role revision, parenting challenges, and financial/work issues), which

can lead to uncertainty (Sahlstein et al., 2009) and communication challenges

between marital partners (Knobloch et al., 2016). One way to diminish the impact

these stressors can have on military couples is through engaging in communication-

focused coping strategies including seeking and gaining social support (Drummet

et al., 2003).

Support networks might mitigate the challenges military partners experience

(Orthner & Rose, 2009), but various barriers exist within the military culture for

those seeking support. First, frequent relocation can result in social isolation from

families and friends, which can limit support availability (Sherman et al., 2016).

Second, military partners may have constraints on their own behavior to better

adhere to military culture (Segal, 1986), including coping with stressors in ways

that align with the norms and values of the military (Drummet et al., 2003; Hall,

2008). Third, if partners are expected to be self-reliant and strong, based on their

secondary status, they may not feel agency in terms of seeking support (Ziff &

Garland-Jackson, 2020). Finally, military partners could perceive that nonpeer net-

work members (i.e., civilians) do not understand their experiences, which might

limit their confidence in seeking support from them (Rossetto, 2015). These com-

munication barriers could lead to lower levels of support within military networks

and between military members and civilians.

Given the potential barriers to support that military partners face, social media

may be especially important to this population. Recent estimates suggest that service

members and their partners are increasingly turning to social media to cope with life

stress (Sherman et al., 2016). Online channels of communication are valuable

because they offer an additional space for support and help individuals realize they

are not alone in handling stressors (High et al., 2015). Social media enable many

military couples to connect with friends, family members, and other military fam-

ilies (Blue Star Families, 2013) across geographical distances (Rea et al., 2015).

Even though social media can offer supportive functions for military partners, they

also have risks and may act as barriers to support. The current study seeks to better

understand the potentially paradoxical nature of social media or how (if at all)

military partners perceive and experience social media as both supportive and

unsupportive when coping with challenges.

Literature Review

Military Challenges, Social Support, and Coping

The demands of a military lifestyle hold potential to affect more than the service

member and have far-reaching implications for spouses and family members as well

2Armed Forces & Society XX(X)

Rossetto and Owlett 441

Social Media as an

(Un)Supportive Resource

for Military Partners

Coping With Military

Lifestyle Challenges

Kelly R. Rossetto

1

and Jennifer S. Owlett

2

Abstract

The current study explored how romantic partners of active-duty service members

perceived social media as (un)supportive when dealing with military lifestyle chal-

lenges. This study also explored coping and support paradoxes as they play out when

military partners are using social media to help them cope. Twenty-four partners

(female, n¼22; male, n¼2) participated in interviews. Participants reported mostly

using Facebook (e.g., spouse groups) for dealing with military lifestyle challenges.

Supportive functions included seeking and providing support and relational main-

tenance and development. Unsupportive functions included reinforced boundaries

and support breakdowns. Findings are discussed with a focus on communal coping

and coping and support paradoxes.

Keywords

social media, support, coping, communal coping, paradox, military

The military lifestyle is stressful for service members and their partners and has been

described as an emotional roller coaster, filled with extreme highs and lows (Dimi-

celi et al., 2010; Drummet et al., 2003; Gleiman & Swearengen, 2012; Knobloch

1

Department of Communication and Media, Boise State University, ID, USA

2

Department of Communication, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ, USA

Corresponding Author:

Kelly R. Rossetto, Department of Communication and Media, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA.

Email: kellyrossetto@boisestate.edu

et al., 2017). Military partners encounter stressors that civilians face, and they can

also experience unique demands such as frequent relocation, separation, and reinte-

gration (Blaisure et al., 2012; Sayers, 2011). These demands often create adjustment

stressors (e.g., role revision, parenting challenges, and financial/work issues), which

can lead to uncertainty (Sahlstein et al., 2009) and communication challenges

between marital partners (Knobloch et al., 2016). One way to diminish the impact

these stressors can have on military couples is through engaging in communication-

focused coping strategies including seeking and gaining social support (Drummet

et al., 2003).

Support networks might mitigate the challenges military partners experience

(Orthner & Rose, 2009), but various barriers exist within the military culture for

those seeking support. First, frequent relocation can result in social isolation from

families and friends, which can limit support availability (Sherman et al., 2016).

Second, military partners may have constraints on their own behavior to better

adhere to military culture (Segal, 1986), including coping with stressors in ways

that align with the norms and values of the military (Drummet et al., 2003; Hall,

2008). Third, if partners are expected to be self-reliant and strong, based on their

secondary status, they may not feel agency in terms of seeking support (Ziff &

Garland-Jackson, 2020). Finally, military partners could perceive that nonpeer net-

work members (i.e., civilians) do not understand their experiences, which might

limit their confidence in seeking support from them (Rossetto, 2015). These com-

munication barriers could lead to lower levels of support within military networks

and between military members and civilians.

Given the potential barriers to support that military partners face, social media

may be especially important to this population. Recent estimates suggest that service

members and their partners are increasingly turning to social media to cope with life

stress (Sherman et al., 2016). Online channels of communication are valuable

because they offer an additional space for support and help individuals realize they

are not alone in handling stressors (High et al., 2015). Social media enable many

military couples to connect with friends, family members, and other military fam-

ilies (Blue Star Families, 2013) across geographical distances (Rea et al., 2015).

Even though social media can offer supportive functions for military partners, they

also have risks and may act as barriers to support. The current study seeks to better

understand the potentially paradoxical nature of social media or how (if at all)

military partners perceive and experience social media as both supportive and

unsupportive when coping with challenges.

Literature Review

Military Challenges, Social Support, and Coping

The demands of a military lifestyle hold potential to affect more than the service

member and have far-reaching implications for spouses and family members as well

2Armed Forces & Society XX(X)