Facebook has become an institution with so many advantages. It allows us to keep up with friends and family all over the world, and lets face it, I myself am not very good at keeping in touch with people on my own. It acts as a supplemental resume (when used correctly!), and is a community for people to feel accepted no matter what race, religion, sexual orientation, or style. But is Facebook relied on too heavily for information? It's just a website....right?
I have been with my boyfriend for almost 3 years. We live together, have two dogs together, and are just as committed to each other and our relationship now as we were 3 years ago. Is our relationship perfect? No. And anyone who claims theirs is is either in the honeymoon stage or lying to you and themselves. A real relationship has its ebbs and flows and requires work from both parties daily.
Now that you have the back story... people have started to put too much stock into Facebook lately, in my opinion. Recently my relationship status changed from "in a relationship" to "in an open relationship", and it was like the flood gates were opened! Nothing in my relationship has changed. No one is cheating, no one is seeking or wanting to change any part of our partnership. We are both as committed today as we were yesterday, and nothing has changed. Yet, with one click of the button I was getting texts, phone calls, and (ironically) Facebook notifications with dozens of questions, comments, and concerns over said relationship status. While I appreciated the love and concern, nothing had changed in real life...and in the cyber world.
Can Facebook cause relationship issues? Proclaiming your love too much, not proclaiming it enough, monitoring new friends, even taking a trip down memory lane and looking at old pictures of your significant other before you were together...all can trigger pretty big, and very unnecessary fights. Does Facebook do more harm than good? Divorce attorneys frequently cite Facebook flirtations and other social media in their cases. There's even a Facebook group called "I wonder how many relationships Facebook ruins a year"...with 100,000 "likes".
It's a great way to keep in touch, to show off a new hairdo, or show potential employers a side of you your resume can't...but it's also a place that can breed jealousy, anger, and problems that may not have been there before. Social media has a ton of advantages, but the key to making sure your relationship stays strong and healthy is effective communication...and taking Facebook with a grain of salt. Live your life for yourself and don't take things on the internet too seriously, it's not worth it.
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