You know that one couple that clogs up your Instagram feed with PDA-filled photos of them frolicking on a beach together, accompanied by a slew of hashtags like #soinlove or #couplesgoals? Sure, they’re hugely annoying, but it turns out they may be doing something right. According to a new study published in the journal PLOS One, there are cases in which posting about your significant other online has a positive effect on your relationship. But that depends on how much sharing you do online in general.
For their new report, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Kansas analyzed five studies on relationship satisfaction and online disclosure via Facebook posts.
“For many of us, sharing our feelings and daily experiences on social media is one of the main ways we stay in contact with friends and family,” said co-author Dr. Juwon Lee, a post-doctoral researcher in Carnegie Mellon’s Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “Because of this cultural shift from face-to-face or phone conversations, it’s important that we understand how our usage of these technologies affect our personal relationships.”
The researchers found that sharing information on social media can do more harm to romantic relationships than good in that you’re divulging private information to a large audience. However, if you tend to share a lot about your personal life online, but never include your partner or relationship, that’s not a great sign either.
“When you include a significant other in your post, perhaps as confirming a relationship status online or posting a photo together, we found that it counters the negative effects of online disclosure, increasing the feelings of intimacy and satisfaction,” said Omri Gillath, a professor of psychology at the University of Kansas and co-author of the study. “This validates the relationship, and a partner likely would see their significant other’s post as caring and inclusive.”
It makes sense. As grating as a non-stop slew of couples photos may be, the other extreme—sharing virtually everything about your life outside of your relationship—could make your partner wonder if you’re hiding them or even potentially embarrassed of them.
The study also notes that the negative effects of oversharing don’t extend to friendships, so post as many BFF pictures as you’d like! Just be sure that your social media isn’t taking you away from living in the moment. If you’re worried you spend too much time on your phone, then check out 20 Signs You’re Addicted to Your Smartphone.
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