This Is Why People In Relationships Really Post 'Romantic' Statuses On Facebook

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This weekend your newsfeed was probably full of roses, heart-shaped chocolates and mushy statuses.

You'd be forgiven for assuming Valentine's PDA is just an excuse for people to show off, but it turns out social media love may actually be genuine.

According to a new study, couples who express their love on social media tend to be more satisfied in their relationship than those who don't.

Researchers at the University of Houston and Pennsylvania State University analysed the online behaviour of 188 students in relationships.

They found that those who posted loving messages about their partners were happier than those who didn't.

“Posting about one’s relationship on Facebook may be positively related to the quality of the relationship because it symbolises making a public commitment to the relationship,” lead author Mai-Ly Steers writes in the study.

“An individual is highlighting to themselves and to others that the relationship is an integral part of his or her self.”

Commenting on the study, relationship counsellor and HuffPost UK blogger Michael Kallenbach says he isn't surprised by the rise in people posting genuine loving messages on social media.

“I think the days when relationships and all that goes with it – sex on the one hand and breaking up on the other – were private matters of the heart are long over," he says.

“People like to talk about their romances, what they did or didn’t do for instance on Valentine’s Day, and whether they had sex the day before.

"Society, coupled with social media has become so much part of our every day lives, that personal relationships are right in there too.

“Whether it’s Facebook or Instagram, there appears to be so many posts and photographs about Valentine’s Day this past weekend, that this is obviously the new trend and people aren’t ashamed or scared of putting it all out there for the public to see and digest.”

So is declaring our love online always a good idea?

SEE ALSO:
Could Over-Sharing On Facebook Ruin Modern Relationships?
Four Reasons to Delete Your Ex on Facebook

Caroline Brealey, dating and relationships expert and founder matchmaking agency Mutual Attraction acknowledges that there is such a thing as over sharing.

“Share pictures of your other half and the adventures you have together on Facebook and you’re probably going to be accused of being a show off. There is a fine line between sharing and over sharing - we don’t need to see the two of you snuggling under the covers," she says.

"But don’t let the haters stop you from sharing your love online with friends and family if you want to, after all it’s your Facebook wall and what you post is up to you.

"You can spend your life worrying what others think, if they don’t like what you share they can unfriend or hide you. Don’t stop being yourself in case others are offended that you seem too happy."

What do you think about loved-up statuses on social media? Let us know in the poll below...

7 Awesome Ways Relationships Can Boost Your Health

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Last spring, the same researchers who looked at how social ties may influence breast cancer survival published a study that found that breast cancer patients who regularly have positive social interactions -- and who have strong support overall -- are better able to deal with the associated emotional stress and pain of cancer. "Social support helps with physical symptoms," study researcher Candyce Kroenke, an investigator with Kaiser Permanent's Division of Research said in a statement. (credit:Getty)

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As Time reports, a 2011 study that followed a group of more than 1,000 older adults, (whose average age was roughly 80) found that the most social seniors had a 70 percent reduction in their rates of cognitive decline over several years, versus their least social counterparts. According to Time, the same team of researchers previously found that sociability also decreased the likelihood of becoming physically disabled. (credit:Getty)

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A 2010 review of roughly 150 studies measuring the frequency of human interaction and health outcomes, found that having strong social connections can improve a person's odds of survival by 50 percent. Conversely, so-called "low social interaction" was found to be more harmful than not exercising, twice as harmful as obesity, and the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day Psych Central reported. Why? “When someone is connected to a group and feels responsibility for other people, that sense of purpose and meaning translates to taking better care of themselves and taking fewer risks,” one of the study authors told that publication. (credit:Getty)

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