In a time when social networks like Facebook and Twitter are becoming important means of communication both personally and professionally, it has been shown that at the relationship level they can be dangerous.

Jealousy in couples is not necessarily bad, it is always good to know that you are important and you care about your partner; that jealousy can be a highly valued feeling if it is kept at a healthy level. But in an era when personal information is becoming more public, the combination of mismanaged information and jealousy can be lethal, as in the case of Camille Mathurasingh: a British girl, aged 27, who was killed by her former boyfriend, Paul Bristol, who flew into a jealous rage after seeing pictures of her on Facebook with her new boyfriend.

Shortly after the growth in popularity of social networking, the term stalker was coined owing to the fact that many people used these sites to anonymously monitor what their partners were doing: the days when lipstick on the collar was the sign of a possible infidelity are gone. Now with social networks you can learn much more by clicking on a few sites.

Experts in psychology have carried out several studies on the behavior of people in social networks and have concluded that jealousy depends on the amount of time that a person spends surfing these social networks. The more time they spend browsing other people’s profiles and keeping an eye on the messages exchanged with their partner, the more jealous they become. The conclusion seems very logical, but sometimes the person only needs to see a photo with a good-looking friend, an affectionate comment or an increase in friends of the opposite sex to become the green jealous monster that everyone has inside.

One of the tips that users of social networks give is that they should not be friends with or continue following ex-boyfriends because their seeing photos of new partners could lead to conflicts, if feelings persist even after breaking-up.

Communication between partners is always important. Not all the couple’s friends of the opposite sex are after a relationship; there may be colleagues or acquaintances that have no importance for your partner. A couple should be confident enough to know who is who in the life of the other partner.

If talks and explanations about a couple’s every problematic picture or comment do not work, social networks have various privacy settings which are difficult to handle at first, but knowing how to use them can prevent social networking becoming a social drama and destroying the relationship.

The use of social networks can be very positive if handled sensibly: you could get to know things about your partner that they do not mention because they seem unimportant, such as new pastimes and hobbies.