In the last couple of months, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have made headlines ever since they started dating publicly again. The A-listers have gone from strength-to-strength and even made things Instagram 'official' last week.
While the lovebirds continue to enjoy their revived relationship, the "Bennifer" reunion has led to to many people wondering if they should track down their own exes and consider starting over.
But according to a new study, having sex with an ex is bad for your mood.
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Keeping former partners on the "back burner" in the hopes of keeping them around for fun leads to negative feelings about the other person and yourself, say scientists.
Researches in the US looked into relationships during the Covid-19 pandemic after a rise in the number of people restarting contact with their ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends during lockdown.
The study was published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking.
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The negativity researchers found is especially evident when the person is currently in a committed relationship and then decides to get back in touch with a former partner.
There were 397 adults studied who were in marriages and researches found at least 62 per cent of people had a "back burner" just in case things went pear shaped, even though 93 per cent of people said their relationship was exclusive. Eek.
Dr John Banas, from the University of Oklahoma in the US, said: “If having ex-partner back burners cascades into increased communication, increased sexual activity, and bad feelings for the admirer, then those in committed relationships might wish to exercise greater caution before forming a back-burner relationship with an ex-partner.”
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Last year, Tyla investigated the lockdown phenomenon women reported on social media in which their exes sent them texts during the first lockdown.
Around two-thirds of people report maintaining communication with their ex-partner and when it comes to having sex with an ex, women are more likely to do so than men.
Around 54 per cent of women have had sex with a former partner, according to a survey, compared with 44 per cent of men.
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While the majority of people say that the reason they do it is that it is comforting being with an old partner, at least 14 per cent of people admitted they had sex with a former partner because they wanted to reconcile with them.
Dr Brenda Widerhold, from the Interactive Media Institute in California, said: "As we see society re-opening, there appears to continue to be a surge in the use of dating apps during what is dubbed 'The Summer of Love,' making it ever more important to study new trends in connecting for friendship and romance."
Featured Image Credit: Leah Remini-InstagramTopics: Sex and Relationships