More than 800 million people log onto Facebook to get their social fix, but social media”s affects on romantic relationships are not always positive, and can cause stress and begin to tear at the fabric of a relationship.
A study taken in 2009 suggests that “Facebook may be responsible for creating jealousy and suspicion in romantic relationships” and that “this effect may be the result of a feedback loop whereby using Facebook exposes people to often ambiguous information about their partner.” Many divorce lawyers say Facebook flirtations are often cited in their cases. While Facebook itself is not to blame for these relationship issues, it is an avenue by which threats to romance can develop and where underlying problems may come to light.
To keep your love life strong and healthy, it”s important to take a look at a few romantic pitfalls to watch out for when using Facebook. If you find yourself having any of the following problems with your sweetheart”s social media use, find a time for calm, face-to-face communication with your partner and talk to him or her about how you feel. If you realize that you are the one causing a problem in the relationship, stop!
Over-sharing.
Everyone knows that relationships take work and have their rough spots, but it can hurt terribly when one partner talks openly about going through a rough patch. Your romantic relationship is one area where airing dirty laundry or over-sharing the not-so-great parts of the relationship is not appropriate, and can cause irreparable harm.
Friend Requests From an Ex.
My husband and I have a policy that we do not accept friend requests from single people of the opposite sex without discussing it first. And, if one of us has concerns over the person requesting the friend connection, the request is denied. A friend request from an ex takes everything to a new level. The best way to deal with this situation is to simply deny the request. Opening that door can lead to poor decisions when frustrations with your partner arise. Make sure to make your partner part of the decision, though. Not telling them about the request can be seen as under-sharing.
Being Tagged in a Photo With an Ex or in a Compromising Situation.
It doesn”t take a rocket scientist to understand that seeing a photo of the love of your life with an ex is not pleasant, and having it splashed all over Facebook is even less appealing.
Flirting Friends.
Facebook makes it easy to forget boundaries, become bolder, and lose inhibitions. When friends become flirtatious, things can go wrong fast. Make sure that your friends know you don”t appreciate flirting, and go out of your way to make sure nothing you say or do could be seen as flirting.
Language or Statements that are Worrisome.
If you see something on your significant others” page that bothers you, don”t stay quiet. Talk openly about about your feelings and encourage your partner to talk openly with you if he or she finds something on your page they don”t like.
Hiding Posts From One Another.
If there is a post that you would prefer your partner not see, then that is exactly the reason you should not post it at all. It simply isn”t worth it.
My husband and I have complete access to one another”s Facebook accounts, including passwords. There is rarely a time that we take advantage of this for any reason, but it communicates that we want to give one another complete access to every part of our lives, and that nothing is off limits. Just knowing that my husband respects me with his Facebook creates transparency, openness, intimacy, and trust between us.
