Whilst on Twitter last week somebody posed the question, would you follow your partner on networking sites? They were inundated with responses with the overall answer being no. This led me to question whether social networking is bad for relationships. I’d like to think that if your relationship is secure, communication is on point and there’s no trust issues that social networking shouldn’t cause any problems. Of course it all depends on the individuals and whether both or one party engages in social networking. I believe it can lead to problems because…
People sometimes pretend to be something their not. It’s easy to do and very rarely leads to repercussions. I for one don’t check the validity of pictures, status updates etc. However after watching Catfish I’m a bit sceptical. How many people have stated their single only to later find out their married, what the hail? If you’re dating/ in a relationship and your partner isn’t on FB/ Twitter then your free to poke who ever you want, engage in all types of conversations and like pictures of the opposite sex. I wouldn’t be comfortable with my other half constantly liking females profile pictures....I’m just saying!
It allows people to see what you are doing ALL the time. Not everybody is comfortable with this. I’ve found out what friends are doing before they’ve had a chance to tell me thanks too Twitter and FB. Some people don’t think twice before updating their status. Let’s not forget it can be addictive and very distracting. The amount of times I’ve said I’m going to pop on FB for a few minutes. Next thing I know those minutes have turned to hours. If your partner hasn’t jumped on the social network bandwagon they may not understand why you spend so much time glued to your computer screen.
Another problem with social networking is that updates can be vague leading to various interpretations. What you deem innocent can set off a chain of emotions and paranoia to your girl/ boy friend. It’s tricky trying to determine the meaning of a cryptic tweet or FB update. It's always going to be interpreted in some way and it's not always positive.
FB and Twitter can expose strangers to your love life depending on how much information you choose too share. Not everyone is at ease with the whole world knowing the ins and outs of their relationship. Yes there are privacy settings but every time you tweet or update your FB status everyone on your timeline can see it. Some people love to snoop and are gaining information on your love life on a daily basis. Of course this isn't a negative thing. There's nothing wrong with professing you love to the world. I’m just a private person and choose not to disclose that kind of information on the web.
Everybody monitors each others behaviour. This isn’t always down to insecurities, we’re human and natural instinct is to be curious to see what others are doing including your partner. The downside of this is that it can fuel jealousy. You may not talk about your partner enough; you may not have changed your status to in a relationship. You may still converse with your ex partner, the list is endless.
I’m not suggesting you can’t have a successful relationship whilst using social networks. Like anything you’ve both got to communicate how much information your willing to share. Know each others boundaries and have a mutual respect for one another. If you have to second guess your activities whilst social networking then maybe you shouldn't be doing it.
Limit the time you spend on social networks. If you’re using social media primarily for business, make sure you’re getting a return on your time investment. I, for instance, have set times in the day to update my status and take part in the conversation. Then I close the browser and do other things. While it’s sometimes tempting to keep checking my online accounts, I know that if I do this too often, other parts of my business will suffer.
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