social-media-1233873_1920Daily, Rachel feels the urge to post pictures of her relationship all over social media. She has pictures on Instagram and Facebook posts about marrying the greatest guy on earth, etc.

Her sister, who knows Rachel’s relationship, has questioned her as to how much of her posting is an attempt to make her  look good to other people. Is she trying to convince others of how happy she is?

Should we wonder about Rachel’s relationship? Actually, yes!

A writer for Business Insider takes the position that happy couples do NOT plaster their relationship all over social media. In fact,those who do are probably feeling the opposite-less happy.

The writer believes that when you are content with your partner, there is no need to post away and look for external validation. Yes, this is opinion, but the writer raises some good points. Perhaps staying present in the moment precludes attention to social media.

Think of a time when you were having a wonderful experience with your partner. Did you stop to take pictures and post? Most of us get lost in the moment and kick ourselves for not getting a picture to remember. We are focused on the other person and the experience, not social media.

Also, consider healthy relationship boundaries. People in healthy relationships do not feel the need to share intimate details with strangers and random “friends.” They have boundaries! And those boundaries don’t include strangers.

Supporting this opinion is a 2015 study from The Happiness Institute. Results of that study indicate that those who go for an entire week without using Facebook are happier than those constant posters. And there are studies that link depression with excess social media use.*

Generally speaking, the more you post, the less happy you are.

So next time you are tempted to provide a highlight reel of your every relationship move, think about why you need to do this. Are you masking happiness and trying to bolster your feeling towards self or another? Are you hoping to impress people? Resist, as it appears that happiness is not reflected in social media.

 

 

 

 

 

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