Social media has been the starting point for decline in relationships across the world. Since we started seeing couples on social media, we have been wanting something similar to what they have and we compare ourselves and our relationships to what we see on social media.

But here’s the catch, not everything you see on social media is the whole story. Behind the scenes many of these couples could have very prevalent issues in their relationships, and that’s perfectly okay. We have started this notion in our heads that these relationships are without fault, and we have started wanting the perfect relationships that we see online.

With the rise of influencers dating each other, online relationships can often feel forced or fake. It’s hard to appreciate love when you’re wondering if it’s all just a publicity stunt.

On that note, what we as a younger generation growing up during the time of social media need to understand is that a relationship will never be as “perfect” as the ones we see online, and that arguments in relationships are okay, and they’re proof that both sides of the argument want to be with each other. One thing we have to be careful of, is that in these arguments social media can have an influence on our thoughts, making us think that either it is our partner’s fault or our own, when that fault isn’t on one person alone.

Again, we have to remember to not listen to everything people say online and take things with a grain of salt. The important part of being in a relationship is having open communication, trust, and respect with your partner. If we fight the societal norms of social media being all knowing, and if we can keep this openness and transparency with the person we care about, then we can have real romance, and a sense of originality and uniqueness in our relationships.