Relationships

Yes, Couples Who Post Annoying Lovey-Dovey Pics On FB Have Self-Esteem Issues

by Sheena Sharma
Shutterstock

You guys! You know that couple on Facebook that's always posting annoying, nauseating AF statuses about how happy they are in their relationships? (I definitely have a few of them and blocked them in my newsfeed.) Well, apparently there's a scientific reason for why they're so in your face about their love.

New research shows couples post TMI love shots because of something known as "relationship-contingent self-esteem." People with RCSE are more likely to suffer from low relationship self-esteem, low overall self-esteem in life and even higher social anxiety than people without it.

Science also says people who have RCSE tend to be introverts, and because introverts aren't inclined to talk about how happy they are in their relationships with friends in real life, they'll take to social media to do so. If you can picture one friend off the top of your head now who's always posting relationship updates, ask yourself, is he or she an introvert?

Introverted people with low overall self-esteem and social anxiety are the most likely to post lovey-dovey statuses.

But before you get on me for calling you out as unhappy in your relationship, hear me out. The research also points out a loophole: The couples who post your favorite lovey-dovey statuses may not necessarily be overcompensating because they're unhappy. They may actually just be that happy and feel the overwhelming desire to tell people about it.

Listen, I'm single AF, but I think we can all agree that we aspire to be part of a couple who's that happy in love. Hey, we all hate them until we are them.

And, as the video wisely suggests, if in-your-face couples are really bothering you that much, you can always just unfollow them. For the time being, that's what I do.