Is Social Media Really Making Better Personal Relationships?

 We live in a world where social media is so inter-woven in to our daily lives and relationships, that we wouldn't know how to function without it. Throughout a typical day, we will contact our friends, significant others, parents, and colleagues through various social media platforms. One day I might talk to one friend through a stream of Snap chats, while posting a funny video on another friend's Facebook wall, and then later that day post a picture on Instagram celebrating a friend's birthday. This goes without mention of the numerous texts that will no doubt be sent throughout the day. While it may seem like we are more connected to one another than ever before, have we lost the meaningfulness of connecting in person? And when we do spend face to face time with someone, is this time hindered by all the relationships we feel the need to keep up with on social media through our mobile devices? So the real question is: Is social media really making better personal relationships? Or is the constant need to be in contact, and to publicize our relationships hurting us in the end?

I once had a conversation with one of my friends, about someone we knew from high school. We were wondering if she was still dating the guy she had been dating in high school and we took to social media to find out. We stalked her pictures, and since she had not posted any pictures of them together in a few months, we came to the conclusion that they must have broken up. We later found out that they were still happily dating. This goes to show the stereotypes that have become such commonplace rules for relationship today. If you don't post on social media, people assume your relationships don't exist. There is so much pressure to post on social media, and show others how fabulous of a life we have, that it could be squelching the actual relationships we have. We can be so wrapped up in making it LOOK like we're having a great time that we miss the opportunity to live in the moment and ACTUALLY have a great time.

This pressure to keep up a good appearance on social media stretches into more than just everyday relationships, but into monumental life moments, like proposals. People (mainly women) are becoming more and more obsessed with catching these life moments of camera, and looking good whiled doing it. Pinterest has also added pressure because people can now compare their proposals to other peoples' proposals. Now everyone wants to have the most romantic proposal, and will not be satisfied if it is not perfect. It seems that some people are more worried about if their nails are done, and if the lighting is good that what their husband has to say when he is down on one knee.

Yes, social media is helping us communicate with more people, more frequently than ever before, but we have to remember to live in the moment and not give into the pressures that stems from keeping up an appearance on social media.