Remember the episode of The Office where Michael and Holly make everyone uncomfortable by being overly affectionate? This is when I first learned what the term 'PDA' meant: public displays of affection. From my middle-school perspective, I thought that PDA was exaggerated on TV and wasn't as prevalent in real life; there's no way people are actually tongue-bathing each other in public.

But then I moved to college and discovered that PDA was, in fact, a very real thing. I'm not saying that college culture is hooking up in the middle of campus in broad daylight, but there definitely is PDA to be spotted around campus on a daily basis; hand-holding, cuddling on wooden benches, and kisses are hard to miss.

I also came to the realization that PDA wasn't an ugly thing, which the media makes it out to be. Well, let me correct myself: not all PDA is an ugly thing. There's an obvious difference between giving someone a quick kiss on the lips before heading off to class and making out with your boyfriend as you straddle him on a bench outside your chemistry lab.

A tasteful public display of affection isn't a dirty thing to be frowned upon. By definition, affection is a gentle feeling of liking. PDA shouldn't be an aggressive slap in the face, forcing the people around you to be consumed by your relationship. Instead, it should be a simple, natural expression of the connection between two people.

My girl gang talks about this topic a lot: so many guys are anti-PDA. Some boyfriends even deny their girlfriends of the simplest of public displays of affection, further promoting the idea that PDA is some type of unsightly act that nobody should ever catch a glimpse of. Us ladies are so tired of this!

If it makes your girlfriend happy to hold hands while walking to class, just do it, man. If you know that a quick kiss will make your girl's day, why wouldn't you do it? Some girls do everything they can to bring a smile to their man's face, so it's nice if guys went out of their way to do the same, even if PDA may not be their favorite thing.

Some boyfriends won't kiss their girlfriends in front of the camera, either. They say, "The boys give me crap if they see me doing sappy stuff, like kissing you in front of the camera for a picture. And you could only imagine what they would say if one of us posted it on Instagram or something…".

But those guys should understand this: relationships are about sacrifices, so if it makes your girl happy to post a cute picture with her, you should just do it. I would hope that boyfriends prioritize the things that make their girlfriends happy before they even consider anything their friends might think. Plus, to be completely honest, I doubt that guys actually give their friends a hard time when it comes to this stuff.

So, the bottom line is: if you're a guy and you know that your girl loves to be mushy in public, try to find some strength inside yourself to give her what she wants. This doesn't mean you have to be overly affectionate with each other 24/7, wherever you go. But try to switch things up and do things her way at least some of the time, because two of the best gifts you can give in a relationship are happiness and compromise.