I was talking to a friend that day and she is the kind who is posting everything that she is up to with her husband and kids on social media. “I often tag my ex’s brother on social media so that he could see what I am up to,” she said. Her statement set me thinking. People do have covert reasons for their social media activities, often. My friend was honest enough to tell me the truth but most won’t admit their real reasons for social media activities.
Social Media Mistakes Couples Always Make
Couples do keep making social media mistakes all the time without even realizing that these are mistakes. But we have formulated some questions the answers to which would help you understand why you are keeping making these social media mistakes and how you could stop. For starters ask yourself why do you feel the need to post so often?
1. What’s your reason for SM posting?
After my friend admitted that she posted to make her ex jealous I asked around a few friends and realised that most of them had particular reasons for their SM activity overdrive. One said that she kept uploading couple pictures because she was suspicious that her husband was having an affair with an office colleague and another said that scrolling down Facebook made him feel that everyone was having fun and if he did not post, it would feel like he wasn’t in their league. Another couple said that they were going through some financial troubles which a few friends and family knew about so they kept posting on social media to prove life was normal. People have different reasons for posting on social media, and rarely is it just for the pleasure of getting a few likes. Having your reasons is fine, but if that governs your every post then you are making a social media mistake as a couple that you need to rectify.
2. Does your spouse enjoy being clicked all the time?
We have seen when couples are usually posing it’s one spouse always smiling and the other looks like he/she has been dragged into the selfie unwillingly. While one spouse is walking around with a selfie stick another is finding it hard to extract a smile for the picture. Are you forcing your spouse all the time to pose for photos? If you are, you should stop doing that. Because of your need to post on social media, your spouse might stop enjoy going out with you. Think about it.
3. Is it necessary to gush about each other on SM?
Those gushy posts on each other’s birthday and anniversaries make the people on your friend list feel nauseated because of the overdose of sugar in it. Are you making a fool of yourself by gushing about your spouse on social media? You could be.You could say all those things and much, much more to your spouse when you wake up in the morning on your special day. Do you need to share all your feelings about your spouse with the world?
4. Is PDA must on social media?
A friend of mine got married a few years back and starting from her honeymoon she was always sharing their kissing photos on SM. After a point of time, the photos became cringeworthy. We know that social media is all about making your private life public but guess you should have an idea how far to go. And if by chance the job you applied for has an HR looking into your SM profile then your CV wouldn’t bail you out from your PDA pictures debacle.
5. Have you stopped seeing the world without a lens?
We were on a holiday recently with a group of friends. We went to the top of a mountain to catch the beautiful sunrise. In my opinion, it was a moment to devour the glory of nature but my friends just kept clicking and never for once stopped to enjoy the splendour of the moment. By the time we returned to the foot of the mountains the photos were up on social media and people were already discussing in the car who liked, who commented and the beautiful sunrise was forgotten.
6. Would people get to know you are faking it?
Yes, they would. No matter how hard you try to post those happy couple photos, those 5-star restaurant visits, those exotic holiday pictures, if there is trouble in Paradise people would get the whiff of it even through those cheerful couple photos.
7. Are you sharing all your good news on SM?
Did hubby get a new job? Click! There it’s up on SM. You are pregnant? Click! It’s up on Facebook. But did you share it in person first with your near and dear ones? Did you make a phone call to your parents first or your siblings or your bestie? Imagine how hurt they would feel when they get the news through your SM post.
8. Do you need to put the children out there?
The first drawing of your 2-year-old could get you excited and you want to share it with the world but what about the subsequent drawings he keeps making? Every drawing, every certificate, every activity picture of a child does not need to be posted on SM. This is a vital social media mistake most couples make. But children don’t need to be on social media. All children earn certificates and draw pictures but you are ending up showcasing your child for every little achievement to the world then you are inflating their ego and creating overconfidence. This would have adverse consequences in the long run.
9. If you are on social media always does it mean you are the most happening couple?
Not necessarily. Some of the most happening couples in the world like Nobel Laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo stars like Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor are not on social media. If you are partying hard, eating out or going for weekend trips that do not mean you are the most happening couple around town. People who are happening usually do not have the time to put themselves out there on SM because they are busy achieving more important things. Unless of course, you are a Priyanka Chopra or a Shah Rukh Khan with an SM team running your show.
10. Are you doing social media when angry?
You fought with your spouse and vented it on social media exposing a momentary lapse in your relationship to all and sundry on SM. This is an SM mistake many celebs keep making but you better steer clear of it. The adverse impact of an impulsive rant on FB could be felt in your relationship. And a fight that could have dissolved quickly would tend to fester with some not-so-well-meaning friends DMing you their advice and questions. Just stay away from your phone when you are angry. Couples make social media mistakes and do not even realize that those are mistakes. Hope our pointers would set you on the right track.