The Havoc Caused By Social Media In Our Today’s Relationships Live.

 

There are several definitions to the term ‘relationship’, but for the purpose of this piece, I will be hammering on the romantic or passionate attachment by males and females. It has to do with a strong bond that exists between males and females whom after a series of examinations on each other decide to have a similarity or romantic feeling for each other. This romantic feeling is assumed to be a loving experience with which every lady or gentle man of a certain age wishes and aspires vigorously to have a taste of.

However, it encompasses numerous controversies, sorrows, obstacles and agonies when there is deviation in the real meaning of the said romantic relationship. It can be a bitter experience when it is not handled with care and can be a sweet experience when it is surrounded by understanding, patience, tolerance and forgiveness.

One major issue among the many that serves as a stumbling block to the full realization of a better relationship goal today is the emergence of social media. What then do we say social media is? Oxford dictionary defines social media as “websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking”. In every initiative purported to achieve a set goal, there is always a bit of negativity attached to it, same applies to social media. However, its purpose of usage determines the positivity and the negativity, as Brian Tracy put it “your beliefs, either positive or negative, helpful or hurtful, largely determine everything you do and how you do it”.

In today’s digital era, social media is a necessity in our lives, since users get educated, informed and entertained through social media. However, it has turned to be a havoc in many relationships today. Whilst some partners in relationships get connected through social media, others find themselves wanting through that same social media. The question one may ask now is how and why?

With the emergence of social media, individuals have little or no time for their partners. At the time where one partner needs the attention of the other, he or she will be engrossed in his or her phone busy surfing social media, which discourages effective communication as well as decreases time to be spent on each other.

Additionally, social media also breeds jealousy among partners in relationships. Even though one primary goal of social media is its entertainment purpose, attempt to post a different girl or guy beside the one you are in the relationship with, either for entertainment or joke sake will have a different meaning to your other partner and therefore will inject in him or her a certain degree of jealousy and mistrust which can go a long way to lead to a breakup.

Not withstanding this, the emergence of social media also results to negative comparisons with other people’s relationships. Some individuals feel to apply what they come across on social media to their relationships and failure by one partner to adhere to the intend change can result to a breakup. It may be described as a conscious effort not to accept change meanwhile some representations on social media are some times deceptive and must not be inculcated into what we do in real life as far as relationship is concerned.

Finally, misconceptions of some individuals with respect to what their partners post on social media such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter among others can result in conflict between partners. A partner might post for instance a write up or caption without the intend to hurt the feeling of his or her partner but can be misinterpreted into a different thing by your other partner which can breed conflict in their relationship.

In conclusion, individuals in relationships must learn not to integrate their social media lives to their relationship lives so as to curb the havoc social media can cause in relationships. Partners must also be cautious of what they put on social media in order not to hurt their partners’ feelings and generate mistrust. Above all individuals must learn to be understanding to their partners and wait for explanation to what they see on social media before taking any action. Patience, tolerance and respect is key in maintaining better relationships and therefore must be held on high esteem.

 May God grand each one of us with strong hearts to be able to stand tough against the obstacles we encounter in our relationship lives.

By: Eric Dindobuo

Dindobuoeric6@gmail.com