Whether you’re a social media maven or barely log onto Facebook, social media is a reality of everyday life in the 21st century. As a platform, it tends to be innately voyeuristic, which can be both a good and bad thing when you’re dealing with relationships. While you want to share these parts of your life with your followers, there’s also such a thing as over sharing which can have damaging consequences. Sticking to healthy ways of sharing relationship news on social media is absolutely key to survive in a world that’s already over saturated with information. Here are a few tips about how and what to share on social media to maintain a healthy relationship.
Beware the Over Share
Much like having a TMI conversation where the other person doesn’t want to necessarily know the nitty-gritty details of your personal life, over sharing on social media is also a breach of online etiquette. Not only that, but The Independent reports that relationship experts consider oversharing on social media to be an attempt to cover relationship problems and seek validation from outside observers. The obsessive nature of keeping track of likes and shares on social media draws attention away from the relationship itself, making the moment into something quantifiable. It’s much easier to feel good about your relationship if everyone is telling you how great it is, but that also means you fail to address insecurities and problems if they’re present.
Consistency Is Key
Although social media may seem like an ephemeral element of your life, in reality, it can have a big impact on both how others see you, and how you see your own relationship. Changes to social media profiles and content should be treated as decisions with consequences, rather than an opportunity to indulge emotional whims. For example, Today warns that a constantly changing relationship status can mean trouble in paradise, or even be the cause of it. It’s worth meeting with a therapist to do a relationship check-up, and there are many adept Dallas area counselors. Therapists can help formulate strategies to maintain balance in how you present your relationship to the world, as well as emotional consistency with your partner.
Discuss Social Media with Your Partner
Due to the fact that the very nature of social media is intrusive, when you’re in a healthy relationship, consent on all fronts is paramount. This includes how, what, and when you post content that narrates your relationship on social media. This can include changing your Facebook relationship status, tweeting about a date as it’s happening, or posting couple selfies on Instagram. It’s important to establish a comfort level of how much is okay to share after discussing it with your partner. These types of discussions require openness and honesty, though, which can be a challenge. Working with Allen counselors who specialize in these types of discussions can be extremely helpful.
Be Conscious of Content
Reader’s Digest counts posting kissing selfies or other photos of physical affection to be a major faux pas on social media. It can be awkward for followers, but also even upset those who have been less lucky with their own love lives. Keeping private things private is important, much like the process of therapy with Allen family counseling where privacy and openness is essential to cultivating and maintaining a healthy relationship. Don’t hang all your laundry out, whether it’s dirty or not, for the entire world to see, especially if it can be reblogged, shared, or retweeted.
Keep It Positive and In Context
Brit and Co suggests positive ways of sharing your relationship on social media that highlights how your partner fits into your life, rather than focusing exclusively on private moments or couple’s drama. These can include posting something that you’re proud of your partner for doing, a picture of you together with family, or participating in an activity. The idea is to cut back on the narcissistic side of coupledom and share a broader view of your life which your partner fits into.
The bottom line for how to share your relationship on social media is avoid oversharing, and to only post what both people in the relationship are comfortable with. I Choose Change is a great place to start ensuring you’re practicing healthy relationship habits, both on social media and other facets of your lives. Allen therapy for couples is designed to help navigate these complex topics and help maintain the healthiest relationship possible.
