Hello everyone, the topic for chapter four is relationship and sexuality. The section that I found most intriguing was the one that talked about relationships and social media. We live in a society where social media plays a significant role in our daily lives. We feel as if we are disconnected with the world if we don’t check or update our timeline on a consistent basis. Although social media can be beneficial, it can also be toxic and detrimental in our relationship with others. The textbook states that “at their best, social media can bring people closer together; at their worst, social media can be used to intentionally or unintentionally to embarrass, damage reputations or worse (page 82)” I strongly agree with the statement above. So many relationships have been ruined due to our social media interaction. Dating in today’s society is extremely hard because we are in a competition with others and we wear our insecurities on our sleeves. Over the last few years I have been in numerous relationships. I always find myself explaining what transpired on social media to my significant other. In some ways this can be draining because the lack of trust is shown. To prove my loyalty, I have to give out my password and wait for my significant other to evaluate my claims. She would check my dms, messages, and likes to validate what I have been saying. These types of behaviours can be toxic and stressful for both parties. Since these behaviors are the new norm in our society, I feel like I have to accept it to a certain degree. Because of the new norms, I was under the impression that divorce rate would increase because of the resources that we have in today’s society. I was surprised to learn through our textbook that “studies suggest that divorce rate for new marriage is only 30 percent and that it has been declining since the early 1980s (page 81).” I thought the number would be greater because of the society that we live in.
Furthermore, I wanted to share some key points that I found interesting about online dating in our textbook. Since a lot of my college friends are dating online, I thought these key points would be beneficial.
- Recognize that constant electronic updates throughout the day can leave little to share when you are together. Save some information for face-to-face talks.
- Respect your partner’s privacy. Logging onto his or her e-mail or social media account to look at private messages is a breach of trust.
- Do not break up with someone via text, e-mail, tweet, Facebook, or chat. People deserve the respect of a more personal break up.
- Be aware that your partner might not be as comfortable with posting information to social media as you are. Be mindful, and ask permission, before posting any pictures of you as a couple or information about your activities or whereabouts.
Health Aspect Update: This week I have been challenging myself to stay away from my phone ( mostly social media ) before going to bed. I would like to see if I can gain more hours of sleep. What I have been doing is not charging my phone next to me. Although some days it can be tempting, I find myself falling asleep faster. To my surprise it has been working. I challenge everyone who is reading this to do the same thing. Till next time folks!
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