The effects of social media on new age relationships

The effects of social media on new age relationships

Dating in the age of social media has become an emotionless world where changing partners or fishing for a new one is as simple as blocking an old interest and replacing it with a new find. Friending or following is all it takes these days for at least one interested party to pursue a new romance.

Defining a new romance in the social media age depends on which age group you ask. The younger millennials and some young minded generation Y’s are of the belief constantly hitting the like and utilizing the emoticons is what a romantic bond looks like. Where the receiving side interprets such actions as a strong bond of interest that boost the ego or perhaps turns into the holy grail booty call. None of this is about romance but more about seeing how much fish you can catch on one baited line.
Generation Xers fall in the middle. Trying to keep up with the times but most of us generation Xers grew up imagining a world where a romantic bond is something to be nurtured. Where a commitment is defined as a solid partnership that engages all aspects of both partner’s lives, while maintaining individuality, something that seemed to have been lost in previous generations.

Technology has become the downfall of true romance and solid relationships.

What’s on the other side?

The illusionist with photoshop, false identities, 10-year-old profile photos and with all the tricks of the social dating trade women and men can easily become hypnotized in the black mirror we call a smart phone.
The other side has become the perfect stage for all the players. Timelines, stories, snaps and tweets appearing grander and larger than life, how easy the seduction is for those looking for their 15 minutes of fame.
Say my name, say my name. Hit the like and blow me a kiss. Oh, my goodness it must be an attraction, don’t worry baby, I’ve only got likes for you.
Those are the lyrics to today’s popular romance rhymes with the volume turned on high from the other side.
False realities turning romance into bottomless pits of denial one hashtag at a time.

Love and Lust what have we learned from Millennials who have grown up in the social network explosion.

Appearance over intelligence rules
Sexting is a way of life
Commitment means liking all of a person’s photos to encourage the next level of intimacy
No pick-up lines needed just good hashtags and photos
Texting daily and breaking up over text are all forms of intimacy. No touching or eye contact necessary.

The effects of social media on relationships has left a sad state of non-committal folks looking for a quick buzz with no intention of nurturing anything beyond sexting photos or perhaps a drink that may lead to sex.
Making new friends online is a fine line these days. Too many likes or emoticons may be perceived as emotional interest, which can have an adverse effect for someone who is actually in a committed relationship. Dinner dates and outings with significant others have become tainted with one or both parties checking their social profiles and hitting the likes in the black mirror, while neglecting the live interaction sitting right next to them.

With the average person checking their Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter a total of 1.5 hours a day and the more obsessed ranging nearly double that per day, how do any of these people have time for real life interactions? These hours of fishing and searching for a feel-good moment are showing in declines of professional advancement and relationship maturity. Five years of a person’s lifetime is estimated to be the amount of time that will be spent on social media. That five years away from the things that really matter.

Are we doomed at the bottom of fish bowl?

As with all generations facing challenges there is hope an awakening will occur sooner than later. Perhaps it will come in the form of a movement. Make love not war kind of thought. Can we imagine a world where people crave eye contact, chivalry, monogamy and holding hands? There are still plenty of us who can and if we stick to our morals and don’t fall into the abyss of new age relationship patterns perhaps we can feel romantically fulfilled. Until then hope floats for those of us craving something real in love and like the Pink Floyd song goes:

“We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground
And how we found
The same old fears
Wish you were here”