Nearly four out of five women and three of five men say they believe texting, Facebook and other social media tools for staying connected cause new couples to jump into bed faster, a survey released this week found.



However, only 38 per cent of women say they have actually slept with a date any sooner because of digital intimacy, according to the 1200 women and men who participated in the third annual sex survey by Shape and Men's Fitness magazines.



Smartphones and laptops are the new toys that lead to the bedroom, it said, with nearly 80 per cent of women and 58 per cent of men saying social media tools leads to sex faster.



Texting is the number one way lovers stay in touch, the survey found, with men texting 39 per cent more often than phoning and women 150 per cent more.



Even before the magic begins, 70 per cent of women and 63 per cent of men use Google and other online tools to screen potential dates.



A full 65 per cent of those polled said they had been asked out by text and 49 per cent through a Facebook message.



Once the relationship clicks, 72 per cent of women report scouring a current partner's ex-girlfriends' Facebook pages.



Even in the heat of passion, some people just can't get enough of their digital devices, the survey found.



When a call or text comes in during sex, a full 5 per cent of respondents said they glance to see who is calling and 1 per cent say they stop to answer the phone.



And when the spark is extinguished, digital dumping is the new way to break up, with 43 per cent of women and 27 per cent of men reporting getting a text along the lines of "It's not you, it's me".



For the heartbroken, the internet keeps hope alive, with 81 per cent of all respondents saying they won't de-friend an ex on Facebook and 75 per cent admitting to constantly checking a former sweetheart's page.

Reuters