Social media can tell you too much about a potential partner, and it can tell others too much about your relationship.

Knowing too much about a potential partner isn't always a good thing. LOFTFLOW/Shutterstock

Social media is one of the best ways to get the dirt on a potential partner without having to hire a private investigator. A quick scan through their friend list and photos can give you a closer look at their political views, hobbies, and even what they had for dinner last night.

But all of that information can come at a price. Knowing too much about a potential partner before you even meet them can lead to you walking into a date with a preconceived notion of how that person is going to be. If you already think you have your date all figured out, you might see them only as you want to, as opposed to how they actually are. Plus, a first date is always more fun if you actually have things to talk about that you don't have to pretend you don't already know.

Dating in the age of Facebook and Instagram can also be complicated — especially when you're still trying to decide how to define yourselves. Seemingly simple decisions like posting a picture of the two of you together or changing your relationship status to make your coupling Facebook official can become problematic if you're not ready to share your news with your best friend from third grade and your Great Aunt in Iowa.