In this age of social media, it is not rare to see status update on Facebook like: “The love of live, he completes me, we are such a a great couple.” or “God blessed me with the best man in the world, we never argue. We fit each other perfectly,” or “I’ve never been happier, he is my everything.”
However, new research conducted by the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin has an interesting perspective about this kind of display of affection or better still portrayal of perfect relationship on social media.
The research looked at the thinking behind what they call “relationship visibility” (i.e. how much you share about your relationship publically), and they found that people who feel anxious about their relationship will feel the need to constantly remind people they’re in one.
An abstract from the study called Can You Tell I’m in a Relationship? Attachment and Relationship Visibility on Facebook, reads:
‘Anxious individuals reported high desired visibility… On a daily basis, when people felt more insecure about their partner’s feelings, they tended to make their relationships visible. These studies highlight the role of relationships in how people portray themselves to others.’
While there are exceptions to every rule, it is safe to say that things on social media are not always what they seem.
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