Do Displays of Affection on Social Media Reflect a Happy Relationship?
With the rise of social media, the conventional norms of relationships have seemed to do the opposite. Whether sexting, tweeting every intimate detail or changing your Facebook status at the slightest hint of provocation from your significant other, many of today's generation is inviting the public into a private realm that used to lie behind closed doors.
But does the profile photo changes and lyrical Tweegrams really reflect the status of one's relationship? It depends on the individual.
Take the private peeper whose web presence is virtually nonexistent. It requires a good amount of self-discipline to refuse participating in Facebook or Twitter, especially when celebrities, who have multiple bookings a day, can still find time to give the world 140-character updates. Does this person’s lack of a social media life mean that their interaction with loved ones is any less real? Not necessarily. It took Beyoncé more than four years to jump on the tweet-and-tumbl wagon and release intimate photos of her and Jay. People who keep their love lives secret often find other vehicles to express their affection, whether it be through music or private engagements. No need to @ someone your feelings so they know it’s real.
Now consider the flamboyant personality-type who likes to Instagram, tweet and change their status at three-second intervals. Twitter users have often said that it’s not official 'til you mention your partner on the trendy worldwide chatroom, while others have indicated that making your beau another tagged individual in your F-Book profile photo is a sign of commitment bliss. In reality, letting your friends and followers know every detail diminishes the privacy that often strengthens the intimacy. It then becomes a public caucus and makes the relationship more than just a two-party affair.
If you’re a moderate poster child on all social platforms, then the occasional web display of public affection is welcome. Bombarding your spectators and stalkers with your boo only creates a loss of online identity and dignity of oneself. Tweeting the occasional inside joke with your beau or referring to them by a secret name that doesn’t bring feelings of nausea are fair game.
Go on ahead and ‘gram your matching Jordans and initial earrings à la KimYe, but please continue to keep the mushy to a minimum.
