This generation is living in a world surrounded by social media: lives on public display at all times, beauty standards change rapidly and relationships look different. Constantly checking snap scores, being left on delivered and PDA rather than a passionate relationship is this generation’s dreadful reality. What happened to waiting on the doorstep with flowers, making big gestures or asking for a proper date? Social media ruined “real” romance.
With the invention of the internet, it has become the main source of communication. Apps like Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook have become platforms used to find connections. Many relationships have started via social media which soon led to the invention of dating apps. Now social media slowly started taking over lives and relationships. The online relationship culture may have benefits, but there seems to contain a lot of drawbacks.
“I think in person actions show more effort and care instead of online actions,” sophomore Marlee Web said. “I’d rather get gifted flowers and a letter on my birthday than just getting a Instagram post about me.”
Many people find acts of service to serve as their love language, but social media slowly diminishes the value. Instead of in person actions like getting flowers, opening the door or showing general manners, many people are finding online ways to show affection for a partner. Posting significant others or putting a partner’s name in a bio, has become a new standard for some other than in person actions.
“It’s way harder to maintain a healthy relationship when social media is involved in every aspect,” sophomore Haya Mack said. “Your significant other shouldn’t expect you to be on your phone every second of the day.”
A large number of people, especially students, use SnapChat as a way to make new connections. Starting a relationship via SnapChat comes off as dangerous. The danger of meeting people over apps represents not knowing the person behind the screen. When a connection does spark from SnapChat, it remains difficult to maintain due to new social standards. A relationship centered on a device can restrict an in person connection. Many people fail to remember that their significant other has a life outside of social media, making it hard to maintain a relationship to satisfy the other person.
“There is constantly new slang for relationships or expectations that apply with the media,” sophomore Zoie Carrizales said. “It’s hard to keep up and meet every new trend.”
Now with social media becoming such a large aspect of dating, new apps arise just for this. Dating apps became popular around 2012 with Tinder, bringing the “swiping” culture into play. The “swiping” culture rose to popularity from the dating app Tinder, where the user swipes left for “pass” and right for “like” according to the other users seen on the app. This is supposed to match the user with the perfect match. If the user swipes right on another user on the app, and they do the same, it is a match. Tinder matches people according to interests and standards of the user. This causes many problems in the dating culture. Online dating can easily put a user in danger and ruins the natural connections formed in person.
“I think there are some pros and cons to the whole concept of online dating, for some, it can help form a connection but I believe it becomes a problem when that is your very source of connection,” senior Ethan Silva said. “At the end of the day, real love is grown in person, not over a screen.”
Now new standards in relationships exist due to social media. The new generation has altered dating according to trends on social media. This generation uses the term “talking stage” a lot, meaning the stage before the relationship turns to officially dating. These terms add lots of pressure on the time line of a relationship, adding stress on the people involved in the relationship. Another term, “Soft launching” means to announce to the public that the person is in a committed relationship, adding to the aspect of publicity in relationships. These terms became the norms in dating life, ruining the natural romantic spark that most long for.
“A private relationship, out of the public view, seems more intimate and caring,” sophomore Audrey Taylor said. “A relationship should be between two people, not all your followers.”
Social media has forever molded the romance aspect of life. Good can come out of social media when 47% of the population has formed life long connections with the use of it. The basics of romance contains the concept of showing affection through in person action for loved ones.
Remembering the true meaning of romance and going above the minimum will only soften the blow of the harm social media has caused romance.
