Photographed by Bek Andersen.
Fact: Breakups suck. It doesn't matter if you were on the receiving end of the "Dear Jane" letter or did the dumping yourself, it can still be nearly impossible to resist checking up on a former flame — especially since social media makes it so easy to pseudo-stalk. Is Googling an ex akin to poking a bruise? Absolutely. But, we do it anyway, and a new study from Pew Research Center reveals that we're far from alone. Turns out, 48% of twentysomethings (men and women ages 18 to 29) are guilty of snooping the interwebs for new details about past loves.
The real kicker? While nearly half of study participants were looking for clues to an ex's current happiness, only 31% of them admitted to posting pictures or details from their own dates on their social networks. So, if the findings are accurate, whatever it is you're looking for, you're probably not going to find it. Take it from us: Peeking into the past rarely does anything to make you feel better about things. The best way to get past a breakup is to move forward, one step at a time. But, there's a bright side! The study also asked participants whether they've indulged in online flirting; 27% of men and 21% of women said yes. So, hey, that means there's a decent portion of the population just waiting to exchange a wink or innuendo-laden message with you — what are you waiting for? (The Atlantic)