Put down your phone and step away from the like button.
Social media is addictive because it’s fun, but if you’re in a relationship, it can also be dangerous.
There are a lot of pretty girls on Instagram. Instagram models, Instagram celebrities, Instagram influencers — they’re all there for the liking. With a few simple clicks, it’s easy to call up thousands of photos of prettily clad women touting everything from swimwear to fitness routines — and there isn’t anything wrong with that.
The problems start when a woman in a relationship suddenly starts to wonder why her partner is spending so much time on Instagram liking other women’s pictures. It doesn’t take much Internet sleuthing to learn exactly what posts your boyfriend is gracing with little red hearts, and that information can be devastating.
When your text messages go unread and unanswered while your boyfriend is merrily posting memes and liking pictures of other women on Instagram, it’s hard not to feel abandoned. It takes a strong and confident woman to be unbothered by that type of behavior.
So whose fault is it when Instagram models start taking over your boyfriend’s feed, or life? Besides, isn’t that what Instagram is for? Well yes. And no.
In a perfect world, we would all let our partners use social media to their heart’s content, scrolling and liking pictures with reckless abandon. We wouldn’t get angry at the number of lovely ladies being viewed and appreciated. A couple of heart-eye emojis don’t necessarily count as cheating.
In a perfect world, we certainly wouldn’t check to see which Insta-hotties they have been following and whether said hotties have followed back, but it’s not a perfect world.
Jealousy is never a good thing, but it is a real thing. For some women with less-than-perfect bodies, the tight, toned, bikini-clad, and often Photoshopped women are worse than the real-life competition. They’re a reminder that they will never be good enough, and that’s a recipe for disaster.
What happens when a woman feels insecure? While it may not be true of all women, some women will lash out, and some women will retaliate. And then no one will be happy.
This is where it gets tricky. A man has a right to enjoy Instagram and other social media sites without anyone monitoring his movements and judging his choices, and a woman has the right not to like it.
Communication and honesty might work, but only if your partner is willing to listen and compromise. The only solution is one that most people won’t bother to take.
Men, scroll Instagram if you must, but keep your finger off that little red heart. Reserve all your declarations of admiration for the lady in your life, or prepare to deal with the consequences.
Ladies, stay away from your partner’s Instagram profile. Nothing good can come of it. Trust that he isn’t going to leave you for an Instagram model; that rarely ever happens in real life.
Comments / 15