OK, I’ll admit it. I spend a lot of time on Facebook, which has caused me to notice the quantity of relationship content posted on this social media platform. I didn’t realize the extent of it until recently.
Of course, there are the typical posts that relate to your friends’ actual lives. Some couples are traveling across the world, going on beach days or going to prom. Each adventure is captured in a picture, shown to all of their friends and shows everyone how great their relationship is going.
But then there are situations that aren’t as happy or sweet. People post about being cheated on. They post about getting out of mentally and/or physically abusive relationships. They post about heartache.
Honestly, I don’t mind any of these posts. Some people may not want to see all of the mushiness of young love, but I think it’s wonderful. I like seeing how well my friends are doing and how their lives are being formed. I like seeing their potential to settle down and have families because I think they’ll feel very fulfilled when they achieve that.
I like seeing relationships develop. It makes me happy when couples get all dolled up for events like fraternity formals and have cute pictures to remember those moments. I like when people post about their anniversaries because one year, two years, three years, etc. are all accomplishments that should be appreciated and recognized even if they seem insignificant in a lifetime of commitment.
Even though I don’t think that people should post to social media out of anger, I like seeing the way a Facebook community comes together when relationships “go wrong.” I can appreciate how, when someone is suffering and struggling, his or her friends offer a support system. They offer a shoulder to cry on and a person to talk to, which is sometimes just what people need in moments of heartache.
However, then there are the relationship posts that don’t relate to your friends’ lives. These are the posts that get shared and shared again because people somehow connect to them. They’re the posts that, in my opinion, highlight all of modern society’s flaws in the perception of relationships.
People share posts that say something like, “You know you’ve lost your girl when she stops stalking you on Facebook.” There are also the posts that are like, “If some girl looks at my man, she won’t know what hit her.” Then, there are even posts and Vines that emphasize how some people check their partner’s phone constantly throughout the day.
I see things like this all of the time on Facebook, and I just don’t understand why our society is so messed up. Feeling the need to constantly know what your partner is doing or to make sure that they’re not inappropriately texting other people is ridiculous. You shouldn’t be in a relationship where you don’t trust your partner is being faithful to you.
Also, I understand that jealousy is a component in almost every relationship whether there’s a little bit or a lot of jealousy, but people need to contain themselves. There’s a difference between someone looking in the direction of your significant other and actually hitting on them. Just because you don’t like the way that someone looks at your partner, it doesn’t mean you should immediately beat the crap out of them.
Be the bigger person. You’re the one in the relationship with your partner. Let the person be jealous of your relationship, and don’t give them the satisfaction of making you feel like they’re a threat to you.
Relationships are built on trust and communication. If you don’t have those, then why are you posting about it on Facebook when you should be reevaluating the quality of your relationship?
