Oversharing personal info on Facebook may hurt romantic relationships

Washington -Think before declaring to the Facebook world your love for your “valentine” this Valentine’s Day, because researchers have found that people in romantic relationships don’t like their partner broadcasting their feelings on social media.

Psychology researchers from the University of Kansas made the finding through three separate studies, the Huffington Post.

One of the problems with your significant other opening up on Facebook is that “you feel less special and unique,” said Kansas doctoral student in psychology Juwon Lee.

Many times you feel they’re trusting you with intimate information, but then you see them sharing their feelings with everyone, Lee said.

As part of the studies, the Kansas University researchers created mock Facebook walls with various levels of opening up, and asked participants how they’d feel about the postings if each was a romantic partner.

When there was a high disclosure rate on feelings, particularly deeply personal feelings, there was a feeling of less intimacy with that person, the researchers found.

Earlier a survey of 1,000 online individuals found that 32 percent of respondents admit having posted something online that they regretted, with some even saying that it specifically ruined their marriage or relationship with someone.

More than half of users under 25 said they experienced second-doubts after posting something.

Another issue with social media is it can prevent love from happening altogether.

“Social media is what I’d call a romance contraceptive. It prevents romance from happening every single day,” said David Wygant, a dating and relationship coach, while writing for the New York Times.

He encourages people to put the phone away, especially when you’re out, and “be uncomfortable” in the real world.

It’s too easy to hide behind your phone and interact in the “imaginary world,” but you’ll miss out on opportunities for love, he added.