Social media gets a lot of heat for complicating the business of romantic relationships-and for bringing out the most insecure, jealous tendencies in us all.


Some of it’s totally fair. Yes, having hot guys slide into your DM or your ex add you on Snapchat can up the temptation.

And there’s no worse feeling than being blindsided by the guy you just broke up with popping up in another girl’s Instastory. (And for single folks, dating apps can bring on a whole host of mental health issues.

There is no denying that social media has changed the way we meet, have sex, fall in love, and fall out of love.

Relationships fail for a lot of reasons, and we shouldn’t blame social media for problems we have created for ourselves.

Here’s five ways social media can benefit your relationship::

1. It can help you feel more secure-especially early on

The DTR convo definitely helps you feel like you’re on the same page as your new S.O., but extra reassurance can still go a long way. In the beginning of a relationship, sharing a picture of you together can make a statement that you’re serious about this one.

Making a commitment to being a couple isn’t something that happens secretly between two people-it is a social event as well that puts a boundary around their intimacy and lets others know that there is a connection that is more than casual.

2. It makes it easy to show appreciation for your S.O

Social media makes it easy for you to share things you’re proud of your partner for-completing projects, earning a promotion, anything they’ve worked hard for. Acknowledging your partner positively is a great way to keep your loving connection, and social platforms make it easy to show them how much you appreciate them.

3. Celebrating milestones publicly can help build intimacy

Creating a scrapbook of your relationship online and celebrating milestones-your first trip together, your one-year anniversary-is good for building intimacy, especially in a new relationship. And while you can definitely share too much, documenting big firsts can also help your friends and family get to know your new S.O. and provide reassurance that they’re a good fit for you.

4. It helps you stay connected with busy schedules

If you’ve ever sent your S.O. an Instagram DM of a funny meme that totally reminded you of them, or a Snapchat of the cute dog you saw on the sidewalk, then you know that social media can be a fun way to stay connected with each other’s lives, even if you can’t be together physically.

5. It can offer you a shared experience

Shared experiences are the foundation to creating a relationship that’s good for the long haul. These are the things that keep you from “growing apart” or losing interest in one another. One part of an intimate relationship is what you share between the two of you-face-to-face conversations, sexual exploration-but the larger part of intimacy is “hand-in-hand” interaction-the common interests you share together where the focus isn’t on one another but instead on a shared interest, goal, or outside person.