So, it looks like we're normalising PDA now...

Like most sane people, when we see couples showing any sort of affection in public, we're immediately uncomfortable, it's almost as if it's been built into our brains. A few celebs have recently put PDA back on our radar, with Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly all over each other on every red carpet, Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker can't get enough of each other and we even saw Hailey and Justin Bieber locking lips the entire way down the Grammy red carpet. Every celebrity couple seems to be in on it and keeping things low key is not a thing anymore. Obviously, PDA is nothing new, we've seen it a lot over the years, but it seems to be a real thing now, and it's being more accepted and normalised. According to Bumble, nearly 70% of daters across the globe are saying they are now more open to public displays of affection since the pandemic. Basically, we all will just take any chance we get to have our hands all over our partner, we've got a few lockdowns to make up for. Keeping it tame is very 2020, and after two years of social distancing, we're getting as close as possible. Dr Kalanit Ben-Ari, a London-based psychologist and author, told Dazed that many of us show PDA in different ways, whether it's simply holding hands or kissing in public, it means something different for each couple. "For some, it might be a statement about commitment or exclusivity, whereas for others it may be a way to connect and keep the connection. It can be a gesture of love if one knows that kind of display of affection is wanted by their partner, or a spontaneous expression of love," she told the publication. “They might want to come across as a couple or a ‘unit’, or want to be perceived as a passionate couple or a couple in love. It might be a natural and spontaneous way for them to connect, or it might be an indication of their unspoken need for acceptance, attention, 'breaking norms', publicity, or status. “There is a huge difference between the varying acts of affection, from holding hands, hugs, kisses, ‘french kisses’, or more provocative public displays of affection. Each act of affection is communicating something different from the next.” There you have it, whether is a small gesture or something a bit more extreme like Travis and Kourtney, we're in desperate need of some action.