It all starts innocently enough. One day we are posting a cute pic with our significant other, accenting it with an obnoxious amount of heart emojis, boasting about how much we’re in love. But, as with all relationships, the honeymoon stage ends and next thing you know, the very platform you have used in the past to showcase your love has now become your outlet to vent all your frustrations to anyone who follows you (and thanks to the ‘screenshot’ button, people who don’t follow you.). One might think the obvious route would be to confront our boy/girlfriends in a private manner. However, too many times have I come across the angry girlfriends who will turn their social media statutes into enraged diary entries, then don’t understand when their love lives come crumbling down.
1. Your relationships isn’t breaking news.
In our heads, it may seem as though our relationships are the most important thing in the world. Sometimes we become out of touch with reality and forget there are other things happening out there that are far more important than the fact that we didn’t get a text back until hours later. At the end of the day, frequent updates about your relationship just aren’t necessary. There is no reason why everyone who follows you needs to know that your text was read, but you didn’t get an answer back. Nor do they need to know that all is forgiven because you were welcomed home with a bouquet of roses. At the end of the day, all relationships have ups and downs. Over-sharing personal details is not only annoying, it can seriously cause a rift between you and your significant other.
2. Refrain from investigating every little thing online.
We’ve all been there. We are scrolling around Instagram when we notice that our boyfriend has just liked another girl’s picture . We may even click on the picture to get a good look. But how far should we let ourselves go? There is nothing wrong with a little curiosity. But I think we can agree that once we are eighty-weeks deep into someone’s profile, we may have gone a little too far. It is important to not let ourselves obsess over something so small as a ‘like’. Just because your boyfriend likes a picture does not mean that he is cheating or that he finds you unattractive. Most of the time they don’t even know these women. A man following a porn star on Instagram is definitely not a reason to panic. I mean, you’d think it was ridiculous if he demanded that you un-follow Channing Tatum right?
3. Sometimes you can’t take it back.
Okay, we get it. You got extremely upset and for a split second forgot that you were on the internet and not your private journal. After coming to your senses, you delete whatever you shared and hope that no one witnessed your brief lapse of judgement. Unfortunately, the screenshot function is real and five minutes later you’re angry manifesto ends up in someone’s group chat. Or worse, it reaches your boyfriend and you can’t deny it.
There is nothing wrong with sharing small tid-bits of your life on social media. These apps and sites allow you to communicate with people in ways that other platforms can’t. At the same time, there is no need to share everything. Especially when it involves our relationships and all the drama that comes with them. When it comes to relationships, it is best to think before you post.