“Facebook is the Devil,” according to my uncle, who always proclaims this when he sees us fascinated by the latest updates. I’m always tickled by his bold statement and his complete lack of interest (and even disgust) in ever creating an account. However, I do understand where his line of thinking may be coming from.
He has probably heard of the impact it’s had on relationships and marriages. I do agree, it probably hasn’t been the best thing for some relationships already on shaky ground. However, I wouldn’t blame that on the social media platform but more so on the individual.
We all have choices, and we have to be wise in those choices, especially when it comes to maintaining a relationship with someone we truly love. We must remember how to manage the boundaries, protecting our relationships. In case you may have forgotten, here are a few social media behaviors couples should avoid:
- Disrespecting and bad mouthing your spouse.
We must be careful in how we allow the world to view our spouse. If there are issues, they should be dealt with internally. Remember, if your spouse is as “no good” as you say, people will wonder why you stay. Nothing good will come from handling your frustrations publicly.
- Revealing that your marriage is vulnerable.
Airing your dirty laundry is never beneficial. When we present our foundation as unstable, we’re opening the door to unwanted meddlers or worse—people who may have already been interested in breaking up your home. As married couples, we never want to give others the perception that they have a chance with us.
- Flirting with other people.
There is a line we shouldn’t cross. Sometimes it may not seem like flirting, but it could very well be. Hitting that like button far too often for certain people could send the wrong message. Posting a comment in a way that reminds someone of a past relationship with you could be deemed as flirting. We must be careful. And take it from Lebron and them, direct messaging strangers of the opposite sex always comes across as suspicious and a major no-no.
- Behaving like you’re single.
It’s good to see images of healthy marriages and couples on social media. While the girlfriend getaways and girls’ night out pictures are cute and fun, remember so are those date night pictures. And be conscious of posting anything that would reflect poorly on your spouse or your marriage. Does your spouse really want to see that picture of you, circulating the web for all his friends and family to see?
- Spending more time on social media than with your spouse.
It’s easy to get caught up in just wasting time scrolling through social media. I’ve been guilty of this myself. In fact, my husband has had to call me out for not paying attention to him before. Our spouses should feel like a priority and never come in second place, especially to social media.
Social media is a great way to maintain connections and even make new ones. But we can’t get so caught up that we’re losing sight of what truly matters, our marriages.
BMWK, How do you protect your marriage from social media dangers?