Men and women alike are constantly shamed for showing any type of love and affection towards their significant other, and for what? So some lonely person can feel better? Well, to be blunt, it's not the happy couple's fault that they're a happy couple. I mean, to a point it is, but just let them be happy.
When I met my boyfriend a month into my freshman year, dating someone was the last thing I wanted to do. We had hung out a few times and it was great, and now that we've been together over a year, it's even better.
He's my best friend, and I'm not ashamed of that. I tell him everything (whether he wants to listen or not) we go shopping, out to eat, build forts, have sleep overs, and act like we've five years old but to me, there's nothing better than that. There's something special about being tagged in 30 memes a week, and watching Netflix while he brushes my hair for me (if you read this, I really appreciate you brushing my hair).
Not one day goes by that I regret dating through college, and hopefully we'll finish out our college career together. Even if we don't, I've experienced so much love and excitement over the last year and few months. Although long distance can be tricky, nothing comes between two people who truly want to be together.
Before things get too sappy, the real question here is why wouldn't you want to date your best friend? Why waste your time, and someone else's, if you're just looking for someone to hook up with sometimes or just not to be lonely? You can't force a true connection, and it's really hard to fake one. Take the time to get to know someone before you go for it, and it'll make all the difference.
So, when you see a happy couple holding hands or posting 1,000,000 pictures of each other on Insta, don't judge them. Just let them go on and be happy, and if it bothers you that much, there's an unfollow button for a reason.