When you log onto Facebook in your mid-20s, right above those quickie recipe videos and angsty status updates is an announcement, a major announcement: Another one of your friends got engaged. And of course the social network thought this deserved top billing on your Newsfeed.

Then the panic strikes, especially if you’re in a long(ish) relationship. Are things moving too slow? Is two years the time when you should start talking rings and whether you prefer a DJ or a band? First, we’d say your friends shouldn’t be adding pressure to your love life. It’s moving along at just the right pace. But if stats help you sleep at night, a new survey found that couples spend an average of 3.3 years dating before getting engaged. When you break it down by region, couples in the Northeast date the longest (3.9 years), while those in the South have the shortest courting period (2.9 years). And the small survey of 1,000 recently married people found that a quarter of all couples date for five years before getting hitched.