A new study published in Computers in Human Behavior shows that people in relationships has just as many potential backup partners hanging around as single people do [via The Atlantic].

The study asked 364 undergrads about their “backburner relationships,” aka people you’re not currently with, but you talk to them sometimes because you think you might get together someday. Forty-five percent of those surveyed said they texted backburners, 37 percent talked to them on Facebook, 13 percent called the person regularly, and a very small percentage of people kept in touch via email, Skype, or Twitter.

 

Lead author of the study, Jayson Dibble, says he also asked the undergrads who were in committed relationships to rate how invested they felt in that relationship and how much they thought about other people. Shockingly, he found no measurable difference in the number of backburners that coupled people kept compared to single people, showing a potential decay in commitments when it comes to online interactions, since it’s much easier to scout for romantic alternatives and even casually pursue them online.

In other news, I still keep believing in the idea of a committed relationship where you’re both best friends and you can’t imagine finding anyone better than your partner, because I love ignoring facts.

[via Cosmopolitan]