By Shirley Shropshire, MS, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate
Does social media ever get in the way of your relationship? Do you and your partner discuss using social media or have agreed upon rules for one another? Modern technology has made accessing people and interacting via the internet easy. Whether it is an old flame or the lure of attractive images, contact can happen with just a click. Suddenly, people can find themselves in the midst of a relationship without ever making physical contact with the other person.
It is important for couples to have open discussion about how each partner will use social media and what level of privacy partners expect from one another. It is also important to remember that social media and affairs are not always synonymous. People are capable of using social media responsibly.
The bigger question is: What drives each partner’s social media use? There can be many answers to this question. For couples, the concern is when a partner uses social media as a way to avoid the relationship or a relationship problem. In short, it can be problematic when a partner uses social media to fulfill a need the relationship has stopped providing.
Questions to consider:
- How do my partner and I use social media?
- What expectations do I have of my partner’s social media use?
- What rules do we have about who we interact with online?
- What rules do we have about the types of sites we visit online?
- What level of privacy do I expect from my partner?
- What level of privacy should I give my partner?
- Does my partner use social media to feel good? Do I? In what way?
- Is my partner secretive about social media use? Am I?
- Can my partner and I discuss social media use openly?
- What makes me comfortable or uncomfortable with social media in my relationship?