We define ourselves in relation to our favourite celebrities all the time. Even the term “squad,” which is slang we all seem to use, was popularized by Taylor Swift’s friend group. While there’s nothing wrong with admiring a celebrity and wanting to be like them, this isn’t always healthy; especially when it comes to our romantic lives.
I know I’m not alone in shipping my favourite celebrity couples because I feel like they’re meant to be. When Lea Michele and Cory Monteith were dating, they were my ideal relationship. I still tear up when Lea posts her yearly remembrances for her past fiancé; but that doesn’t mean that I should be trying to recreate this relationship.
Celebrity relationships give us unreasonable expectations for our own lives for many reasons. When celebs post adorable Instagram pictures, or tweet out private moments between them and their significant others, we love them, and often want to recreate them with our S.O. However we’re not world-famous and although a cute birthday post or fun event should be commemorated, our friends probably don’t need to see us smooching with our partner. Not to mention that it’s healthy to keep the more personal parts of your love life between you and your partner.
Celebrity couples also give us some unrealistic expectations. It seems as though stars meet and are instantly in love, and while I believe in love at first sight, it’s not reasonable to think that everyone is going to have that experience. It seems as though we put more pressure on having an instant connection with people because it seems as though celebrities are able to do so. Justin Bieber seems to be smitten with a new girl every time I look at his Instagram, and even though he could be, it’s not fair to think everyone works this way.
Presents are a big source of stress in most relationships; getting the right gift and spending the right amount of money seems to be a tension that we struggle with. Stars like Kylie Jenner, who received a car for her birthday from her boyfriend, set an impossible standard. While we may not actually be hoping for a car, it does place us in a position to think that gifts are more important than they are. Seeing stars buy each other elaborate keepsakes makes us think that it’s normal to strengthen relationships through presents. Although it’s adorable to see stars profess their love this way, we shouldn’t put pressure ourselves to have a similar experience.
I love famous couples as much as the next person, and it can be a lot of fun to keep up with them and their relationships. While this is exciting it’s also important to remember that celebrity relationships are very different because they are in the spotlight and because most stars are wealthy. Saying you want a love like Kim and Kanye is great, until you start trying to be Kim and Kanye.