The media presents their views on relationships in a way that encourages unhealthy relationships. This portrayal of relationships causes viewers to become extremely dependent on their significant other and eventually, they lose their sense of self. This concept of sacrificing the very parts of oneself that make them an individual is far too common as a result of the media's portrayal of relationships. We as a society are led to believe that in order to be a completed person, we have to find a partner somewhere in this ginormous world who completes us and becomes our other half. I strongly disagree with this idea because I complete myself as my own individual being and do not need another person to complete who I am. I am enough on my own, and so is everyone else.
Don't get me wrong, though. I am not saying that relationships are bad and unnecessary. I am actually in agreement with harvesting and growing relationships over time with people that I deeply care about. Relationships with others outside of our own self-help us to grow as human beings and often teach us more about who we are on an individual level. We need other humans to be able to function. However, we need disregard how relationships are depicted in the media in order to have our own sense of self and recognize that we have worth outside of our relationships with others. Once finally realized this for myself, I began to accept who I am on an individual level. The realization that the relationship I once considered to be ideal results in a loss of one's sense of self helped me to realize that this relationship presented in the media is really not the ideal type of relationship.
The real ideal relationship is one that allows you to be one whole person instead of half of a duo. There are many ways to complete oneself, but personally, I have chosen to focus on the aspects of myself that define me as an individual. I am currently working on my undergraduate degree in two areas that I am passionate about: women and gender studies, and history. I have plans set to eventually go onto graduate school to obtain a Master's degree in journalism. I make a wonderful breakfasts that consist of scrambled eggs, not-burnt toast, and coffee that may just have a tad too much cream and sugar in it. I tell really awful jokes that my mother will tell me are absolutely terrible because they are just that corny, but hey, it still makes her smile regardless. (Shout out to her for passing down her genes of making me a morning person!) Believe it or not, I'm actually knowledgeable in the area of sports and can shock my friends with my knowledge in that area. (Shout out to my sports-obsessed father who had me watch games with him before I could even talk.) My first love was reading, and I continue to read for pleasure. You'll never find me without a book in tow.
All of these aspects of myself are what make me an individual. They prove that I am one complete person and that I do not need to follow the poor examples set by media that depict relationships as two halves combined into one unit. I am not a half. I am a whole, and I will not give that up.
