Six Ways Social Media Negatively Impacts Our Love Lives

It’s been almost three years since I started my Facebook hiatus. It improved my relationship with my boyfriend. Also, it seemed like nobody really cared that I left.

It’s no secret that social media can destroy relationships. There are probably countless doctoral theses on different ways social media impacts us everyday and most of it is probably negative.

Here are the reasons I’ve found that social media can destroy relationships:

Oversharing: Not everyone in a family or one person in a relationship wants everything shared on social media. Whether it’s a job promotion, the fact that you’re stuck in a snowstorm. It can make things awkward or create conflict. People don’t want their secrets out there.

The Bait and Switch: You constantly see posts about how in love your friends are with their significant other to the point that you doubt your own relationship. People (okay women) are fawning over how “amazing” their “dh” (dear husband) is. There are pictures of them kissing. Gag. It’s all fake. In truth, they are more insecure than you when you aren’t as public about your relationship.

Private Messaging: Social media offers another way to connect. This makes it easier to cheat not only physically, but emotionally. You can physically be curled up with your significant other and still message someone else.

Judgement: Communication doesn’t always come across well through social media even though it is another way for communicating. We learn things about others we may not want to know about them from their likes, dislikes, religious preferences. Arguments break out and friendships are disrupted. It leads to fractures.

Hurt Feelings: It’s common for two adults to have a different group of friends. Something might be posted to a person’s account while being tone deaf or insensitive to the person’s significant other. That can then lead to arguments or fissures.

Stalking: Social media leaves someone open to be subjected to harassment or from bitter ex or jilted internet friend who may have wanted more.