Social Media and Relationships: Is it Good or Bad?
By Brie Crites
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram; that’s just to name a few social media networks that have revolutionized our society in recent years.
The idea of social media seemed like a fad when MySpace and Black Planet came on to the scene years ago. But, this has been proven to be wrong; very wrong.
Social media networks have consumed the way in which we communicate as a culture, especially in the dating scene. Dating isn’t what is used to be since the evolution of making relationships “Facebook official” or the increase of “inbox relationships.”
Social media and relationships have become both friends and enemies. Dating has become easier as the initial awkward conversation between a man and a woman is almost completely eliminated.
Instead of relying on their natural ability to converse, they have the opportunity to type, delete, retype, and proofread a message before hitting the “Send” button to create an almost perfect first impression.
On the other hand, social media and relationships have had their share of downs as well. Social media has created a pool of single and available people for those who have a tendency to be unfaithful, making it even harder for them to be faithful to their partner.
One individual said, “Facebook has made it harder for relationships because it makes it easier to cheat. Some people don’t even meet in person, but they still cyber-cheat on their boyfriend or girlfriend.”
Between half naked pictures and the ever-secret inbox or direct messages, social media has lit the hidden fire of cheating people everywhere. As discrete as you’d like to be, that’s the option given to all by social media.
So easy to access through your phone or your laptop and so easy to burn the bridge in your own relationship by trying to entertain cyber “buddies.” Social media and relationships are what some would consider “frenemies.” They help one another out at times. Yet, there are still many occasions when they do nothing but tear each other down.
“I like social media because it gives the opportunity to show the entire World Wide Web that I have a boyfriend and who he is. So, if anything does pop off where I find out he is cheating, the other girl has no excuse because she saw on his page that he is in a relationship,” one female, 24, says.
A younger male, 21, also had a comment. “I don’t mind social media. I just don’t like how females are so suspicious of it. My girl will read a message from a friend of mine, who happens to be a girl, and twist the whole message around. It’s not that serious!”
Whether good or bad, it is very apparent that social media has changed our society and our relationships. Social media and relationships go hand and hand in our generation. Relationships statuses, tagging your significant other in tweets, or Instagram-ing a picture of you and your honey speaks volume to those connected to you via the web.
It is up to each and every individual in and out of an intimate relationship to behave properly on social media and avoid perverting social media’s motive of connectivity to better suit one’s unfaithful ways.
Social media and relationships really can work hand and hand. It’s the users that have to realize this.
Crites is a contributing writer for Regal Magazine, a publication dedicated to the African American community.
