My boyfriend and I share a lot of things including the passwords to our smartphones. Before you gasp in shock or disbelief this behavior is actually not uncommon nor is it extreme.
I remember reading an article in the New York Times earlier this year about teenagers who shared their passwords with their mate.
"It's a sign of trust," Tiffany Carandang, a high school senior in San Francisco, said of the decision she and her boyfriend made several months ago to share passwords for e-mail and Facebook. "I have nothing to hide from him, and he has nothing to hide from me."
I understand trust and not having anything to hide but there is something to be said for each person having some level of privacy. It's not about keeping secrets or encouraging lies but not everything needs to be shared. Would you be as comfortable sharing the password to your Facebook account with your parents? Your friends? Your employer? There are a few things to consider before sharing your password to your email, smartphone or social accounts.
Ironically, my boyfriend and I are not Facebook friends (no "in a relationship with" status) and we would never even think about sharing our email or social media passwords. It's just not necessary. But every now and then I need him to send a text from my phone while I'm driving or my phone is charging and I want to use his to do something. But we aren't worried about the other finding something inappropriate on the phone because as Carandang noted, we have nothing to hide.