If you’re wondering whether you should hide your online dating life from your friends, the answer is no.

According to Match.com, 1 in 5 relationships begin online. The stigma that was once associated with online dating has evaporated. Online dating is no longer the exception, it’s the norm! So, unless you’re Catfishing unsuspecting victims (um, if this is the case you need to stop that now!), there’s absolutely no reason for you to hide your online dating life from your friends.

When considering telling your friends about your online dating life, here’s a few things to consider –

1. You’re not doing anything wrong.

Really. If you still feel like you should be embarrassed that you’re meeting people online, you need to get over that and get with the times – stat. Thousands of people meet through online dating everyday. As I mentioned above, online dating is now the norm. In fact, lately when I hear that couples met “the old fashioned way” I’m always slightly surprised! Everyone and their dog is online dating now, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of.

This point was really hammered home when I first moved to the small sized city where I live now. When I mentioned to a friend that I was having really hard time connecting with other singles (it literally felt like all of the single men were in hiding), she suggested that I try online dating. Want to know where all the singles were? Easy: online.

If you’re still worried about what your friends think, a) it’s time to get over it and b) keep in mind that the only thing being open about your online dating life says is, “I want to put my best foot forward and increase my chances of meeting someone online” – which is nothing to be embarrassed about at all!

2. Your friends are your support network-

Let’s face it, anyone who has ever tried online dating knows that it often involves a lot of trial and error. You’re going to have some amazing dates and you’re going to have some terrible ones. Sometimes those awesome dates turn into more, however sometimes you’ll end up falling flat on your face. When dating gets you down, it’s always great to have the support of friends to pick you back up and remind you of what’s important in life (all the people who care about you!)

Also, there are also probably going to be some dates that are so comically bad that you’ll be dying to share and laugh over the details with someone. For example, like that time you showed up and your date was wearing leather chaps or that time your date confessed to you that “I spent some time in jail, but don’t worry it’s all a big understanding. My ex’s hair totally grew back after the fire. Trust me, you’re going to want to tell people about this things – preferably over a margarita. This is just another reason why it’s pointless to hide your online dating life from your friends.

Although you might not want to regale your friends with every single detail from every single date (unless they ask), they’re there to support you. It’s OK to lean on them. After all, love can be a battlefield, so it’s good to have a few allies.

(Plus, if you’re online dating a fairly small place and your friends are too, it might be worth swapping notes to make sure there isn’t any overlap!)

3. Safety first!

Although you shouldn’t be afraid to online date, you should practice some precautions. This means not revealing personal information online, meeting dates in public places and letting people know about your whereabouts. The last one is especially important if you don’t live with family or roommates. This is yet another reason why you shouldn’t hide your online dating activities from the people who are close to you, because when it comes to staying safe it never hurts to let people know what you’re up to. If I’m going on a date with someone I haven’t met before, I always make sure that I let someone know where I am going – even if it’s a quick text to one of my girlfriends that says, “hey, I’m going for drinks at Brown’s tonight with this new guy I met. I’ll let you know how it goes!”

As cliched as it sounds, keeping your friends in the know about your online dating life means that they can always place a “check in” text or call mid-date, therefore giving you a potential “out” if the date isn’t going well and you want to bounce without being rude. See? It’s totally a win/win.

At the end of the day, the question isn’t whether you should hide your online dating life, but why you would even consider hiding anything in the first place. When it comes to finding love online, the more support you have from the people around you, the better!