In response to feelings of jealousy, researchers discovered across two studies that women are more likely to monitor their partner’s activities on Facebook than men. As attachment anxiety increases, so do the minutes women spend monitoring Facebook in general—spending the most time on their partner’s page on days when they report the greatest jealousy. Why does a photo of your partner and a non-related friend—mutual or not—illicit a pang of jealousy so hot it makes your ears red? “Because this information often lacks context,” says Amy Muise, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto Mississauga and the author of the study published in Personal Relationships. So while you might not know the person he just friended or the intentions behind that well post from an old high school friend, it’s enough to keep you on his page for the rest of your lunch break. It’s not that men don’t get jealous—it’s just the difference in how each gender handles it. “Men and women might manage and express their insecurities differently, at least in the context of Facebook,” says Muise, who knew from previous research that women in general spend more time managing their own profiles than men. “Men and women may perceive different expectations on Facebook where women are expected to manage their relationship in this context.” And that context is a very public one, which naturally raises the stakes. So if men aren’t creeping on your Facebook when they feel jealous, then what are they doing? Researchers aren’t sure. But in the meantime, know this: an hour of sifting through his new female Facebook friend’s profile pictures isn’t going to get you anywhere. Got a conflict? Resolve it offline with this simple one-step trick. More from Prevention: Status Update: Facebook Makes You ________ Try A Facebook Diet Is Facebook Ruining Your Relationship?
