The more PDA, the more hate.
You’ve probably seen “relfies” on Facebook and Instagram. The latest update of the selfie trend signifies a selfie of your relationship—a shot of you and your significant other, possibly both doing your best duck face. That term comes from a study carried out by Professor Benjamin Le of Haverford College in Pennsylvania dissecting the social politics of Facebook relationships.
By analyzing the profiles of Facebook users who are in relationships as well as charting the reactions to fake profiles that were set up to mimic relationships, the study found that oversharing about your partner might make others “think your relationship is going well, they will like you less,” Le writes in Science of Relationships. “Those disclosing a lot about their relationships were the least liked.”
“Viewers can glean your relationship quality relatively accurately from what you post about your relationship on Facebook,” Le explains. So whether it’s going well or badly, your friends know. Relfies actually improve others’ perception of your relationship, just remember your friends will also hate you for your social media PDA. Proceed with caution.