We’ve all had bad dates. Terrible ones. And before social media, those horror stories were usually shared among friends, or family members, or maybe to your hair dresser. Now, you can share those awful, awkward stories with millions of followers, using the hashtag #datinghorrorstory.

But… should you always share your dismal dating stories?

According to experts, it can be freeing.

In today’s social media age, relatability is currency. “When you share something difficult or horrifying and others respond, validating your experience and reactions through likes, ‘OMG’ comments, reposts or reactions and similar stories, it contributes to a greater sense of belonging,” says Miranda Nadeau, licensed psychologist.

“It can feel freeing to share your story with others, lightening the weight of the dating mishaps that could otherwise continue to bother you,” Nadeau says. “Just getting something out of your mind into media, whether through social media or journaling, helps you to not be so burdened by it.”

On the other hand, though, consuming stories about terrible dating experiences can skew your own attitude towards being single.

Be careful, though, to not gather all your dating advice from messy TikToks. “It is important to stay aware of how the kind of content you’re consuming could impact your perspective and impression in a generalizing way that’s maybe lacking some nuance,” McCullough adds.

So go ahead and laugh and share and contribute your own stories – but don’t let yourself get too down on dating! Just like Yelp reviews, people are way more likely to share their bad experiences than their good ones!