Relationships and social media seem to be a big part of our lives these days. Lately, I have seen a lot of people post about how they hate being single. I have also seen a lot of pictures and videos of couples where people commonly re-post or comment on them saying things like "goals," or "if I had a boyfriend/girlfriend."
Here are some norms I’ve taken from what I have seen:
1. Your significant other should buy you anything you ask for, no matter how much it costs.
2. If you are feeling down or are in a bad mood, your significant other should drop everything they are doing to come be at your side and cheer you up.
3. Your significant other should always post pictures and videos praising you. If they don't do this, they do not love you or care about you.
4. You should have a backup plan just in case that relationship does not work out. This basically means that you should have someone you are stringing along with the occasional flirting.
5. Your significant other has to take you out on expensive dates all the time. Cheap dates are not always acceptable.
6. If they like someone's post or pictures, they want to be with them despite your relationship.
7. They should reply within minutes and you should talk to them all day, every day. It does not matter if they are working, or in school.
8. When holidays or birthdays come along, they need to spend hundreds of dollars on you. They have to get you whatever you want.
9. If you are not in a relationship, you cannot be happy.
Now I can't say that my relationship has been or is perfect, but I have definitely learned that these norms are not 100 percent accurate or effective. While being in a relationship, we fail to realize that our lives do not revolve around our significant other. We have our lives, and they have theirs. It is great to spend time with them every now and then but, we do not need to spend every minute of every day with them.
People tend to end relationships because they are not like what they see on social media. I know I used to get upset with my boyfriend when he wouldn't post me on his Instagram all the time. Looking back, I realize how stupid that was. He does not have to post me every day or constantly to keep me happy. Sure, it is nice, but it is never necessary. We need to remember that social media is just a perception and cannot determine what our lives should be like.
Now, I can't tell you what you need to do to have a "perfect" relationship. I definitely do not have a perfect relationship. I can say that everyone's relationship is different. You can't base it off of what you see online. You need to find what works for the both of you. There are only two people in a relationship, and only those two can determine how they will grow together. If you aren't in a relationship, it's okay. Not everyone has to be in one and you can definitely be happy out of one. Being with someone does not determine your happiness. The only person who can determine whether or not you are happy is you!
