I know, I know, you probably think you have an idea of what this is going to be about…
“Social media is ruining relationships because people are more tempted to cheat!”
Actually, no. I don’t feel temptation to cheat is why social media is ruining relationships. To be honest with you, I feel like if a person feels comfortable cheating on social media then they would feel just as comfortable cheating without it.
The reason I feel social media is ruining relationships is because of the shiny, impractical, and flawless reputation that being in a relationship is given from social media.
Think about it…
There are literally youtube channels dedicated to watching a couple live. Vlogs just showing their quirky adventures to Target and Chipotle, making us feel envious that two people can have so much fun with such a simple trip.
Instagram couples document their vacations with that bizarre photo of the girl literally dragging the guy behind her with some caption like “Follow me around the world.”
It is such a strange concept but we can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy and think, “dang, I want someone to follow me around the world.”
We are given a highlight reel of each couple’s relationship and are made to think that this is all the relationship consists of. We don’t see the pooping with the door open, the fights over whose turn it is to do the dishes, or the socks left on the couch.
We are being drawn into this glamorous life between two people, as we look at our own relationship wondering why it isn’t in a constant state of bliss.
Being exposed to unrealistic “couple goals” causes us to create expectations for our own relationship that aren’t realistic.
Rather than being in a relationship and genuinely enjoying that person and loving them through thick and thin, we begin to form the basis of our relationships around much shallower aspects.
I feel social media ruins relationships in the same way that rom-coms do; it causes us to obsess and fawn over something that is unattainable and unrealistic.
The problem with this is that if you’re constantly chasing something that is unattainable, you are going to be very disappointed when you don’t attain it. You are going to pass up on someone that may have made you really happy, or you are going to throw out something that was great because you are chasing the fantasy of a relationship.
Social media allows us to see the shiny tip of the iceberg for other couples, as we watch and begin to invest more effort into someone else’s relationship than our own.
It is so important to remember that amongst all of the beauty a relationship shows the outside world, every relationship has that ugly side that nobody else would want to see.