Sam Thompson and Anna Williamson on Gateway

Social media is making it harder for young people to handle the modern-day relationship, particularly when it comes to a breakup. New research by Direct Line, looking into the dating habits of millennials has found two fifths (38%) of young people have been broken up with via text, a sixth (15%) have been dumped via social media and a further 15% have been ghosted.

In fact, just 14% of youngsters say they’ve actually been broken up with in person. When it comes to meeting a partner, the majority (20%) of people aged 17-25 found their other half through a dating app or social media. But virtual networking means young people’s relationships stay focused on the online – almost a quarter (23%) have stalked their partner’s exes on social media, over one in six (16%) have checked their partner’s phone without their knowledge.

Worryingly, a sixth (14%) of young people compare their relationships to couples they follow online and a fifth (20%) even admit they get in relationships for tactical reasons rather than romantic ones – such as getting that perfect couple shot for Instagram. Around a fifth (19%) of young people claim shows like Love Island make them feel anxious because they aren’t as good looking as the contestants, and a further 19% say that seeing contestants’ heads turn on the show make them worry their partner could do the same.

Aston spoke to Sam Thompson, reality TV star (Made In Chelsea, Big Brother and Celebs Go Dating) and Anna Williamson, dating expert from Celebs Go Dating and TV presenter to discuss the findings and also gave advice on to do whilst in a relationship.