Nearly one third of young people spend more time on their mobile phones and surfing Facebook than with their partners, new research has revealed.

A Virgin Mobile Canada survey indicated that mobile phones and social networks are putting a dent into the time youths spend on romance.

This is confirmed by the fact one in five respondents didn't celebrate Valentine's Day and 13 per cent are still looking for their Valentine.

In the aftermath of Valentines Day, many will be interested to discover women are more likely than men to spend more time with their phone or Facebook than their partner, according to research carried out by Angus Reid Public Opinion.

For Canadians aged between 18 and 34, text messages are one of the most productive ways of spreading the love, with SMS proving as popular as phone calls and lingerie gifts to show they care on Valentine's Day.

Virgin Mobile Canada also found that young people are willing to use their mobiles to engage in a spot of flirting – four per cent of respondents admitted to using the old "I lost my phone number, can I have yours?" line.

A further seven per cent have tried their luck with the other sex by asking: "Something is wrong with my cell phone… your number’s not on it." Deary me.

Long distance love texts are all the rage too – 33 per cent of those surveyed said their top text is "Luv u xoxo". In Quebec, "miss you" was the most popular text with 41 per cent. Altogether now – aaaah…

Virgin Mobile Canada has been spreading the love themselves over Valentine's weekend, with Virgin Mobile Angels giving out gifts including free coffee, transit fares and hugs and kisses all around.

“We’ve heard the cry for help from Canadians and Virgin Mobile is stepping in to bring the love back," commented Nathan Rosenberg, Chief Marketing Officer of Virgin Mobile Canada.

For more information and some post-Valentines cheer, head over to Virgin Mobile Canada, or go to Twitter and Facebook.

By Greg Rose