Romantic Relationships and Media
The birth of the internet almost twenty-five years ago caused dating norms to change forever. While the world wide web has helped modern dating, it has also caused many new issues to arise in romantic relationships. According to The Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication Volume 16 issue 4, “seeing that [a] romantic partner [left] comments on the Facebook wall of an attractive member of the opposite sex can induce jealousy”. If not discussed properly, a jealous partner may develop trust issues towards their romantic partner which will cause strain on the relationship. Romantic partners admitted to feeling uncomfortable and unhappy when their partners refused to make their relationship “Facebook Official”. The opposing partners believed that it was unfair that their partners were unwilling to share with the world that they were dating them. Prior to the birth of social media platforms, issues such as this would not have arisen in relationships. The unwillingness to share one’s relationship status on social media adds feelings of secrecy and un-trust in the relationship.
It appears that the internet has done more damage for romantic relationships than good. The internet has turned dating from standard courtship to swiping right through a catalog of men or women. This type of dating behavior encourages the “hook up” style of dating over committed relationships based on love and attraction. This new trend in dating is threatening the familial culture that the human race was founded upon. The generations growing up in an age where the internet is a native instrument fear commitment and attachment. The internet is showing us that there are always other options and that there are always more attractive people that we can pursue next. The fact of the matter is, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you water it. I suggest that the generations growing up in the digital age try to keep their relationships offline. We need to educate our youth on the basic moral principles that has kept the human race alive for so many generations. I believe the solution to the issues that the internet is causing in romantic relationships is education. If we educate our youth to love themselves enough to walk away from any romantic encounter that doesn’t serve them, grow them, make them happy then they will stray from the sallowness of online dating and hook up culture. I believe that they will revert back to the traditional ways of dating should we educate them on the value of relationships for which the internet has torn away. I suggest that this class be taught in elementary schools and middle schools so that the children grow up learning how to respect themselves and build their values. If we wait till later in life to educate children on this important topics, we may not be able to reach them since adolescents tend to form stronger opinions that are tougher to sway with age.
Utz, Sonja, and Camiel J. Beukeboom. “The role of social network sites in romantic relationships: Effects on jealousy and relationship happiness.” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 16.4 (2011): 511–527.
