By Sylla Hawau Anuoluwapo 300lvl Mass Comm)
There is no doubt that social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, have revolutionised how we receive and send information. While they offer several opportunities for connection and interaction, social media also pose significant challenges to the health of romantic relationships. It can lead to giving less attention in relationships, increased jealousy, distrust, misunderstanding and insecurity.
One of the effects social media has on people in relationships is a decline in quality of time. While social media offers more affordable communication options, it has although reduced face-to-face interactions. When one spends an excessive time on social media platforms, it can cause individuals to overlook physical interactions with their loved ones which leads to increased dissatisfaction.
Physically, if people are having a conversation with one another, a swift reply is expected, and if one person keeps overlooking the voices of others, only to be laughing to a TikTok video or scrolling through reels on instagram rather than having a meaningful connection, phubbing occurs.
The Phubbee (one who is being ignored) gradually starts to feel ignored and undervalued. This might cause someone to stop initiating conversation withpeople, and it might lead to gradual withdrawal from the relationship and bond that they share.
Another negative impact is Insecurity. Social media content subtly influences our lives, thus creating a sense of social comparison and setting unrealistic expectations. One might start to feel that their relationship isn’t mirroring his favourite model.
According to the Social comparison theory, humans have the natural tendency to compare themselves, and social media amplifies this tendency, making insecurities take root. This can lead to feeling less treated, dissatisfaction and resentment towards one another.
Also distrust and jealousy is another impact, this effect can also be bred as a result of our usage of social media. Through social media, one can easily monitor the activities of others online, like their comments, likes on other people’s posts, and who they follow. Such interactions can cause distrust and anxiety.
Misinterpretation of messages is also an issue, as social media lacks the face-to-face feeling and tone. A short reply to a message online can be misunderstood as annoyance or lack of interest.
There is also the issue of lack of privacy and security. Today, many people seek self-worth from likes, comments and followers. They want people to know who hangs around with them, what they are doing, where they are, the timelines of their outings, why they are with a person and how they met. Being a social media person, no information about your relationship and life is private, which can be uncomfortable for your loved ones that value their privacy. It can also trigger cyberbullying, which can affect self-esteem, and if misunderstandings are too frequent about what you share on social media, it can cause tension and conflict.
Furthermore, weakened emotional connection has also been an effect of social media on relationships. If a person prefers social media communication to physical communication , it leads to less and shallow conversations. This can cause reduced intimacy and increased disagreement due to the lack of nonverbal contact. And if any argument should arise, GIFs and emojis can not help to express how much you feel as face-to-face conversation would do.
These consequences of social media can lead to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and so on. To mitigate these effects, it’s essential to set a limit on one’s social media usage. Some suggestions are: limiting personal information about your loved ones that is being shared online, and open communication with people during arguments or misunderstandings. It’s essential to maintain and balance the online world with reality so it doesn’t affect and corrupt your feelings towards others.
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