I think all of us know “that girl” who always has a boyfriend. Sometimes her relationships last a while, and sometimes they’re just flings. But regardless, she always has a boy in her life.

Now I think there are a few reasons for this “need” of male companionship, the biggest being social status.

Girls like to gossip and there are two ways of doing it. They can talk trash about others or they can talk about themselves. Nothing satisfies a girl more than having people listen to her talk about herself. And a girl’s favorite thing to brag about? Boys.

Some girls date for the wrong reasons.

Take for example, “Gossip Girl.” In the first season, when Jenny is trying to overthrow Blair from being Queen B, she says, “What’s the one thing no girl in our group has? A boyfriend.”

In this scenario, having a boyfriend automatically increases one’s social status and popularity. Although this is a fictional televison show, the same principal applies in real life. Having a boyfriend helps your social life. Why? Because you get more bragging rights.

The other reason “that girl” needs a boyfriend is because of her own insecurities. Sometimes a girl is so self-conscious and so insecure that the only way to make herself feel good is to have a boyfriend.

I think everyone knows someone like this. Someone whose self-esteem is so low that they need other people to bring it up.

The ideal person to do this is someone who likes you as more than a friend. Therefore, these girls depend on guys to make them feel good about themselves.

When someone has a crush on you, likes you, loves you—whatever you want to call it—it makes you feel special. Girls with major insecurity issues bank on having a guy provide them with a feeling of importance.

The problem with this is that the girl won’t really appreciate her boyfriend for who he is. They’ll appreciate him for what he provides her with.

Whether “that girl” is insecure or just wants to be cool, she’s dating for the wrong reasons. Girls who go out looking for a boyfriend, want a boyfriend, or feel like they need one, will never have true feelings for that person. Instead of being in love with their boyfriend, they will be in love with the idea of him.