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5 Ways to Tell If Your Friend’s Dating Advice Is Actually Worth Following

Sometimes it’s best to just smile and nod.

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I recently wrote an article about the latest dating trend called “friendfluence,” which essentially involves letting your friends influence your dating life. With International Day of Friendship just around the corner on July 30, it’s important to recognize the many roles our friends play in our lives.

Recent data from Hily Dating App analyzed friendfluence in actions, finding that nearly half of women (and 1 in 3 men) say a friend’s opinion shapes how they view someone they’re dating—even when it contradicts their own first impression.

While some input from friends can be helpful, too much can cloud your own judgment and discernment. In fact, 43% of women and 30% of men admit friends’ opinions have negatively affected their dating decisions. 

This begs the question: How can you tell the difference between advice worth taking and advice that might sabotage your dating life? Dr. Sabrina Romanoff, relationship expert at Hily Dating App and Harvard-trained clinical psychologist, gave VICE some tips for considering your friends’ input without losing your own voice.

1. Look Out for Negative Patterns

Unfortunately, some friends don’t even realize they’re projecting their own negative experiences onto you. Odds are, if someone continues to find the bad in a situation, they might be viewing it only through their biased lens.

“If your chronically single friend is constantly telling you to break up with your partner after any sign of difference or difficulty, you may want to question that feedback,” says Dr. Romanoff. “The most important signal is a pattern of advice that would lead........

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