7 Ways Social Media is Ruining Relationships
Social media- Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (and all the rest of them!) are so fast becoming the center of our daily lives, aren’t they? And while there are so many amazing things about being connected, there are also some serious side effects that can creep in and impact not just your self-esteem or career, but your precious relationships too. So, let’s get real for a second, babe. Is social media ruining relationships, and you’re not even aware of it?
1. It Drags the Past into Your Present
Okay gorgeous, how many times has this happened? You get a friend request, a comment, or a random message from an old friend, a colleague, or- yep- an ex. The thing with social media is that it has almost zero boundaries when it comes to people from your past finding you. While a little trip down memory lane can be sweet, it can also invite unwanted emotions or even temptations back into your life.
My theory? The past is best left in the past for a reason. If certain people (especially ex-partners!) aren’t in your physical life today, there’s a good reason for that, lovely. Be so careful with who you let back in, and never feel obligated to accept a request just because they were once part of your story.
2. It Blurs All the Important Boundaries
When you open the doors of your life to the world, you suddenly have so much more ground to cover, and honestly, it can be exhausting! There’s this weird, unspoken rule on social media that if you don’t accept someone’s request, you’re offending them. Rubbish! This is your personal life we’re talking about, and just because the rest of the world decides to overshare doesn’t mean you have to.
Does that woman your man works with really need to be his Facebook friend? Maybe, maybe not- but that’s a conversation for you two to have. It’s so important to set clear boundaries with your partner about who you both decide to invite into your private digital world.
3. It Turns You into a Comparison Queen
Isn’t it crazy how our self-esteem can take a massive hit when our selfie doesn’t get 349 “likes”? Especially when we feel like we compromised our standards a little, maybe showing a bit more skin, just for the validation. Let’s put this all into perspective, ladies: what you see on someone’s Instagram is not their real life. It’s their highlight reel.
Don’t be fooled by the perfect filters and the #blessed hashtags. So many people are genuinely happy and successful without advertising it to the world for approval. Just because another woman has a different body shape doesn’t make you any less beautiful. You are a masterpiece, remember that.
4. It Feeds Insecurity, Mistrust, and Paranoia
This sounds so dramatic, but it’s so true! Often, it starts as a tiny little fear that grows and grows as we get more obsessed with social media. Your relationship with your man should not be centered around social media. You shouldn’t have to check his profile every 5 minutes or secretly stalk his followers to see if something fishy is going on. If social media is starting to control your thoughts and send you a little cray cray, it’s time to step back and take a much-needed break.
5. It Becomes an Unhealthy Addiction
Guilty? How many of us have reached for our phone first thing in the morning, even before a good morning kiss? Or scrolled through our feed while having dinner with our amazing guy? Honestly, there should be a rule- no phones during meals or quality time! We lived without it for thousands of years and, lets be honest, we communicated so much better. Let’s not lose that art. Put the phones down and actually talk to each other like the good old days!
6. It Steals Your Precious One-on-One Time
I am a total stickler for spending quality time with my man, so we both try to ban our phones and make each other the priority- not some random person’s food selfie! It’s wild how much of our time gets eaten up by just trying to keep up with everything online. While social media might be vital for your career, babe, it can’t become the sole focus of your day. Don’t forget to nurture the real, tangible things in your life that matter most. What are your rules for phone-free time? Share your tips in the comments- you might just inspire another couple!
7. It Encourages Oversharing (and Unwanted Opinions)
Here’s the deal- the more people you open up your life to, the more unwanted opinions you’re going to get on how you should be living it. Social media gives us this silent permission to overshare, becuase we know it’ll generate attention or sympathy, which makes us feel validated.
But who you are is so important, and your worth is absolutely not based on the opinions of strangers. Your private life shouldn’t be judged by people who hold no real space in your world. It’s not about quitting social media entirely, but it is about not losing perspective on what truly matters.
We Want to Hear From You!
Has social media affected your relationship? Share your story in the comments below- your experience might be the one thing another woman needs to read today. Let’s support each other!
M.R.:
I absolutely do and unfortunately it is not my presence on social media but rather my wife’s. Always seems that the twitter crew is more important than her husband and kids. We are at a loss for what to do and I fear it is the beginning of the end.