Today in creepy consumer website funded survey news; the 'matecation' (ugh) is on the rise with 43% of Brits preferring to head off on their hols with their friends rather than their partner.
While we can't forgive the word 'matecation' (it's up there with 'glamping' and 'belfie' as the very worst of words that journalists and ad people like to invent) the study does raise an interesting point. Given the choice; would you rather spend a sun-kissed week off work or uni in the company of your boyfriend or your four best mates ever? Mates right? Yeah, us too. Here's why.
There’s none of that awkward pooing rubbish
Applies only to new boyfriends; by year three you’re pretty much as familiar with each others’ bowel movements as you are your own. Ah the mystery and intrigue you once had. But for new couples, there's pretty much nothing worse than letting on to someone you want to bonk madly that once (sometimes twice) a day you do a poo; a fact that's definitely going to come out if you're sharing a pokey hotel bathroom. Obviously up until this moment they're under the impression that you would never do such a thing, while your mates could probably pick your poo out of a line-up. **It's sweet. In a terrifying way.
You’ll never run the risk of running out of things to talk about
You know those middle-aged couples sitting in Pizza Express staring mournfully into their dough balls without a word to say to each other? Don’t pity them – by day three of your hols with the boy that’s exactly what you’re going to be like. You already share everything with each other every day anyways so really, what’s left to talk about other than what happened that day? And how long does: ‘Today I sat by the pool and read a book but you already know that because you did it too,’ take to say really?
You’ve got people to dress up for
Dressing up for your boyfriend once in a while’s fun, but whacking on a great big pair of heels and a dress that's really complicated to put on for your boyfriend who'll take one look at you and go, 'You look nice' before picking up his copy of Loaded magazine that he 'just bought for the plane ride and lols'. Your mates however, truly understand the struggle you went through getting that dress with many straps over your head before you guys head out on the town and are far more likely to shower you with the compliments you totally hate but secretly want.
A holiday’s not going to make you rethink your relationship with your friends
Hols with your boyf is basically Big Brother for couples; a purely clinical experimentation on the psychological make up of your relationship with no distractions to cover up all those little niggling things that are bubbling under the surface. Scary right? On the bright side, if you can survive a week just the two of you, you can pretty much get through anything. Happy hols!
Because adventures are more likely to happen with mates
When was the last time you and your boyfriend reminisced about the time you got drunk, broke into a local school playground, played on the swings and weed outside the headmistress's office? Almost never. What with your friends being the terrible influences they are though; almost anything can happen, and it absolutely will. For better or for worse, at least you'll have stories to tell. Which side of a jail cell you tell them from though, is another story.
Follow Jess on Twitter @jess_commons
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.