Posting a photo with your significant other on social media has become a relationship right of passage. When things get serious, couples are expected to post photos of each other. But, can these digital displays of affection be too much at times? And how can you tell what's real love, or just for show? Just how some people prefer not to show signs of affection in public, some feel that the same type of privacy should be respected on social media. It is, after all, every individual own choice when deciding whether or not to post a photo with their S.O. But then the paranoia of, why hasn't he/she posted a photo with me yet? Is there someone else? Does he/she not think we're at that level yet? come into question. With social media having such an active role in the majority of today's society, it makes sense how our digital actions can affect our physical ones.

So, you're in a relationship, does that mean you have to post a photo with your S.O.? No, not at all.

No one is obligated to post a photo with anyone.

But let's be real. What may be a person's lack of social media presence or disinterest in Instagram, could be misinterpreted as not wanting to make their relationship public. Close friends, acquaintances, and for some people, even strangers are found on their list of followers- all of whom can see each post, caption, and comment posted to your page. Meaning, your followers can assume that who you post photos with most are those who you are closest to, and ultimately, who you may have a romantic relationship with. Along with these photos, cute captions and supportive comments from friends can help identify whether someone is single or in a relationship.

What does an Instagram post with your S.O really mean? A single post can say, Yes, I'm serious about my relationship, and the lack of a post says, I'm not seeing anyone at the moment, or at least, I'm not officially in a relationship. As superficial as this may sound, posting a photo with your significant other is a big deal. It publicly declares that you are dating this person and ends any other budding romances that could've been. Some people, not all, crave this type of validation. It's easy to say, I'm only talking to you but come on ladies, who hasn't heard that line before.

Actions speak louder than words, and the act of posting a photo with your S.O. announces the exclusivity of your relationship louder than any other method.

Now, I'm not saying that the lack of a couple post undeniably means your S.O. is up to something sketchy. I'm saying that everyone can interpret another person's actions and behaviors differently. What may genuinely be an individual's indifference towards social media, could be seen as this individual not taking his or her relationship seriously.

Maybe he or she isn't ready to have a label yet? Maybe they're talking to someone else? Or maybe, you two just haven't taken a good picture together yet or haven't had anyone around to take a one in the first place. Maybe you or your partner place a larger emphasis on the importance of posting a photo together than the other does. And if the case is debating whether your S.O. truly doesn't post to social media often, or if they are just using that as an excuse, trust your gut. Depending on how long you've been dating this person, you should have been able to get a feel for how active they are on social media.

The trouble doesn't stop with posting a photo, however. No, that'd be too simple. Once you've posted a photo with your S.O., people with start to speculate whether your affection towards your partner is real, or fake. Maybe it's intentional judgment, brought on by people who are either annoyed by your posts or think the relationship isn't what it seems. But also, it could be a natural curiously random scrollers have.

In a study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, researchers stated that couples who have a larger social media presence together actually have the weakest relationship stability. So all those couples you see posting lovey-dovey photos are supposedly the ones who search for validation in their Instagram followers when they don't receive it from their significant other. Is this true? It all depends on the relationship. People who scroll past an Instagram post have no real evidence on whether a couple is actually that affectionate or if it's all for show.

What matters is that you and your significant other both feel appreciated and acknowledge in the relationship, and are having your needs met. So go ahead and post that one-year anniversary picture, or don't. I'm not in your relationship so I don't have a say in what you do or don't make public on social media.