London, Sep 6 (IANS): If you want longevity in your marital relationship, just delete your partner from your Facebook friends' list and get the romance back in life.

According to New York-based relationship expert Ian Kerner, unfriending your significant other on social media can put the spark back into a relationship, Daily Mail reported.

Even better, he said, people should delete their Facebook accounts entirely to free up more time to spend with their partners.

Kerner said the use of mobile phones means couples are spending less talking to each other face-to-face, causing miscommunication and arguments.

According to the Pew Research Center, 25 percent of married or partnered adults who text, have texted their partner when they were both home together.

The same number have felt that their partner was distracted by their mobile phone and eight percent have had arguments about how much time their partner spends online.

Kerner, who has now deleted his Facebook account, said there were some challenges that arose in his own relationship because of social media.

"I realised for a little while with my own wife that I didn't really want her to be my friend on Facebook," he was quoted as saying.

"I didn't want all of that extra information. If anything I wanted less information -- I wanted more mystery and more unpredictability," he added.

He said that a "digital detox" -- even if it's for a short period of time -- can benefit all couples.