How Social Media Might Be Affecting Your Relationship and What to Do About It. We all know social media has become an integral part of our everyday lives. From posting what your coffee looks like in the morning to what your dinner looks like in the evening, to political rants, or catching up with friends and family, and even sharing (or maybe not sharing) your relationship status. As social media keeps us connected to our online network, you may be thinking that social media is taking a toll on your own personal relationships, even your romantic relationships. If this sounds like something that might keep you up at night, or maybe keeping your partner up at night, we have a few suggestions on how to navigate social media, especially if you feel your relationship status might be in jeopardy!
1. Understanding your partner’s habits on social media.
Before jumping to any conclusions about your relationship status, you need to understand your partner’s social media habits. If your partner is a social butterfly, you might expect them to be interacting with friends and family on social media or even posting photos of the two of you from last week’s date in Jim Thorpe. But, if your partner tends to stay private on social media, it might be unrealistic to expect to see photos of your love life online. If you’re still unsure, ask yourself if your partner is more likely to share personal photos with family/friends, or stick to posting about politics, or sharing content that isn’t necessarily personal to them? Perhaps, if your partner isn’t keen on sharing personal photos, interacting with them in the comments of fun articles that might relate to your time in Jim Thorpe, or sharing funny memes or cat videos with them can keep that spark alive on social media without crossing out of their comfort zone.
2. How this might clash or gel with your own social media habits and values.
Once you realize how your partner uses social media in their day to day life, ask yourself if their habits match your own. If they do, you’re in luck and might have an easier time understanding their thought process when it comes to posting and interacting on social media! But, if you don’t have similar habits, or even different values when it comes to sharing your personal life on social media, these can be tricky waters to navigate. Putting in a little more effort into understanding why they do or don’t post and engage on social media the way you do is important. Even more important is how you apply this information to create a little give and take in your relationships with both social media and your partner.
3. How to not let social media affect your relationship in negative ways
The “easiest” way to keep social media from affecting your relationship is to be open and honest with your partner. If you’re comfortable asking your partner to keep your relationship private, you should absolutely have that conversation as soon as possible, or before something gets posted that might make you feel even more uncomfortable. On the flip side, if you’re feeling upset that your partner doesn’t seem to “care” to post about your relationship every day on social media, you should have that open and honest conversation as well. Maybe their reasoning is simply that they never even thought about posting something so intimate about themselves online. Creating an open dialogue is the best way to keep your relationships intact or maybe even take the next step!
Wondering how social media could be affecting your relationships? Give Love Brokers a call for some guidance and expert advice!