There’s a picture on Facebook a good friend of mine posted after prom that made my heart melt. She’s laughing while her boyfriend kisses her cheek – her face is scrunched up, utterly joyful, and he kisses her like he can’t help it. BUT I’ve also seen pictures that I didn’t think we’re so cute. Confession: I sometimes have to screenshot them and ask my friends why these photos couldn’t have been kept private. Who took those photos, anyway?
I know, I know, you’re in the “Honeymoon Phase” and you want the world to know how happy you are. That’s great, sincerely, but there’s a point where you surpass letting your friends know that you’re happy, and now you’re just making your aunt, who is new to Facebook, blush.
Let me offer a few suggestions for keeping everybody happy with the social media PDA:
1. Hand Placement
2. Kisses
Kissing photos: I’ve seen them done right, and I’ve seen them done wrong. I don’t want to see your tongue, believe me, but I wouldn’t say a kiss on the lips is entirely taboo, either. You’ve seen the really cute engagement photos where the couple is off in some field and they’re kissing? Well, those can be really nice, but they’re also taken by professionals who know what looks okay in a picture.
In general, you’re safe with a kiss on the cheek. It’s cliché, it’s overdone, but it’s cute, and Grandma (probably) won’t be offended.
3. Commentary
A little checklist before you click “send” on that caption:
- How many pet names did you use? Do you need to say babe, sweetie, love, and that name from your inside joke all in one post? Probably not.
- When was the last time you commented about your relationship online? Have you posted a picture of the two of you in the last four days? Okay, maybe today you should take a break. Actually, let’s take the rest of the week off.
- The real test: can you read it out loud? In conversation, could you say the whole “you’re my world, what would I do without you, you complete me, blah blah blah” spiel? Or is it too awkward? If it’s too mushy for you to actually say to your boyfriend in person, it might be a little too much for you to say to him in view of all of his family members who see he’s tagged in it.
4. Balance
So, on my Instagram feed for example, there are two types of posts: joking ones and I’m-so-in-love posts. I think if your picture covers one of the categories, your caption ought to lean toward the opposite side of the spectrum. What do I mean by that? If you post a picture of you and your boyfriend making out, then you don’t need to comment about how much you love him. I got that. Trust me. If you already have a PDA-filled picture, that’s when I think you employ the tongue-in-cheek, “I guess I like you” sarcasm. If you post a funny picture, though, I think a cute little comment can be sweet.
Now I hope I didn’t bully you with too many rules, but PDA is something we complain about for a reason. Your relationship is none of my business, but you make it my business when it’s plastered all over my wall on Facebook. Just remember that whenever you are online, you have an audience; and, those photos sure aren’t fun to delete if you break up.