Everything seems to be up for conversation with the popularity of social media and reality tv. Understandably, unsolicited advice and judging one another has become just as popular. Navigating relationships have become more than just a game, but a complicated equation of the right labels, the best image, and finding your own ways to make it work.
Interesting, right? However, I cannot say that I do not understand, and all of this got me to thinking is social media allowing us to create an unauthentic version of ourselves. You only get to see the person they want you to see and begin to have unrealistic expectations of individuals when we meet them. Making it harder for those who do not fit into those expectations while also putting pressure on ourselves to be social media “perfect.” These include having a relationship that is #relationshipgoals. According to Forbes social media can be addictive, comparing our lives with others is mentally unhealthy, it can leave to jealousy ,it triggers more sadness, we can get caught in the delusion of thinking its helpful, and more friends doesn’t mean your sociable.
Even if you are not into showing your relationship off on social media, you have to realize that might be because you’re afraid of what they might say or think. Keeping your relationship to yourself instead of showing your happiness is the safer bet. Everyone is looking for something that is simply real, and social media takes that away from them.
We tend to look at celebrities for our #relationshipgoals. We see our favorite celebrities couples and immediately say goals when we know nothing about their relationships other than what we see. We are happy when they are happy, sad when they are sad, and disappointed when they are having relationship issues; all of this without truly knowing anything about them. The other problem is what works for them might not work for any of us. So, it is not surprising when someone says something that doesn’t fit those #relationshipgoals we are more than less disappointed. Jerry Faust, states him and his ex made there own version of #relationshipgoals, “No matter how long we go without taking to each other, when we saw one another our energy, our chemistry,our feelings were what mattered. We had an understanding, and continuosly supported each other.” Instead of letting that person have their own opinion we want them to agree with what we like to see as the perfect relationships on social media.
Men and women have been trying to figure each other out since the beginning of time, and social media doesn’t make it any easier. Marriage rates are not what they use to be, and social media could have something to do with that. Oriette D’angelo, “says she needs married and likes title. She feels society programmed us that way, wrong or right that just how it goes.” While some need marriage and title some just want to find a person they love. A that seems so much harder since we have begun sharing our life online. It is not that no one wants a relationship but instead wants something real. If it is either needing a label for security or just longing to find a person who fits who we are, the result is the same.
curated by kay mckenzie 