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A University of Texas study examined social media posts to come to this conclusion. The research, published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,” says that by studying the language left behind on social media, researchers were able to identify language “markers” that signify a breakup is forthcoming.
THE SIGNS
Scientists identified two shifts in a person's social media presence that shows a breakup is on the way:
- Social media posts become more personal with the increased use of “I” and “we” statements
- People in a faltering relationship will also use more “cognitive processing” language in their posts. That means statements that start with phrases like “I think,” “I need,” or “I’m not sure whether."
Language markers that a breakup is on the way started cropping up 3 months before the relationship ended and intensified in the week of the breakup, the study said.
Researchers also found that people’s language patterns returned to normal about 6 months after a breakup, giving credence to the idea that it takes 6 months to get over a significant other.
“These changes were detectable even when people weren’t directly talking about their relationship, showing the impact breakups have on all aspects of their life,” said Sarah Seraj, the study’s lead author.
“Changes in people’s language even before the actual breakup means that even though they didn’t necessarily know the end of the relationship was coming, it was already affecting their lives."
To read the full study, visit NASUSA online, pnas.org.
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