Watching TV With Your Significant Other Could Actually Improve Your Relationship

In a hilarious discovery of the day, it turns out that watching television with your significant other can actually help your relationship flourish. We know this might sound totally insane, but keep reading for the best dating advice we’ve heard in years. A recent study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships states that following the lives of consistent characters in television shows, books and movies, and having other “shared media” experiences can fill the void that can be left by a couple’s lack of mutual friends. Yes—Jon Snow and Arya Stark have been replacing your friends, one week at a time.

“Sharing a social identity is a key component of interdependence in romantic relationships. In particular, sharing a social network of friends and family members with a romantic partner enhances relationship quality, but maintaining an integrated social network is not always possible,” authors of the study write. So where does television come in? “When people lack a shared circle of friends with their partners, sharing media like TV shows, books and movies with partners may compensate for this deficit and restore closeness,” the study reads. So, basically, these fictional personalities can compensate for real-life shared friends.

For the complete story on how to improve your relationship, read the full article here.

By Kristie Dash, Allure Contributor