As a generation, we have mastered the art of technology. With our knowledge of technology also comes the obsession we have all grown to have with social media. Social media is meant to be a good thing. It is meant to make staying in touch with people easier and to make it convenient to show your family what you’ve been up to while you’ve been away. But our generation has taken a left turn with it. Suddenly, likes on Instagram and favorites on Twitter have more meaning behind them than the words exchanged in everyday conversations. Relationships are ending left and right because guys and girls are finding excuses all over social media to not “trust” their partner anymore.
Let’s start with Snapchat. The root of many couples’ trust issues stemmed from Snapchat’s "best friends" list. Why do you care who your boyfriend/girlfriend is receiving pictures from? I don’t care if they are the most attractive person on this planet; he is dating you. If you’re really worried about a 10-second picture of a filtered, half-smiled pose is really going to be enough to make your guy leave you, then you may have bigger issues than Snapchat and should probably consider staying single until you are ready to trust in your boyfriend rather trusting in a social media outlet to define your relationship.
Next, Instagram. I once listened to a girl vent to her friend about her boyfriend liking another girl’s picture on Instagram. An action that took maybe half of a second and barely any physical movement caused this girl’s trust in her boyfriend to diminish. Don’t be that girl. Liking a girl’s picture does not translate into your boyfriend being unfaithful. It makes you look crazy for caring so much. Someone had to say it so I will be the one to say caring about the photos your boyfriend is liking or the photos that he is tagged in is just a little absurd.
Lastly, Twitter causes problems because you can see who others are talking to and what tweets are being favorited. People will talk to whoever they want. You, as a girlfriend, do not have the right to say who he can and cannot talk to. So, don’t start subtweeting about him because he tweeted that girl from his math class. Your subtweets will not change anything and I promise everything will be okay if you just let him tweet in peace.
Our source of trust comes from validation rather than just believing in the person we have chosen to love. There is too much room for doubt now and too many ridiculous fears that pop into your head as you start to worry about losing your boyfriend. Ignore the rumors and the girls trying to talk to your boyfriend; they are not your business. He chose to be with you. Trust in that. When you stop caring about what he is doing on social media, you will trust him and better your relationship the same way people did before we could check his best friends and favorites. Trusting someone is a beautifully terrifying thing and it can be scary but if you love the right person for the right reasons, it will be worth it. Trust the person you love and love the person you trust.
