“Don’t use social media to impress people; use it to impact people.” ~Dave Willis

“Some people aren’t really all that they “post” to be.” ~Unknown

We live in a world were social media has taken over our daily lives. This trend has led to most people posting a lot more about their private lives online. As a social media conscious society, it appears everyone is always happy, go lucky, visiting places and just having a good ‘ole time. If you doubt me, just look at their posts. This trend has the tendency to make followers believe these people live very happy, fulfilling lives. Alas!!! Not all that glitters is gold. I have a friend on social media who is always posting pictures of his wife, praising her, and always gushing over her. A week does not go by where he does not post a picture of his wife to gush about her. I know this couple well enough to know that the love portrayed on social media matches their actual lives outside social media. They recently celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary and their marriage so far has been going strong.

I also know of a couple who rarely celebrate each other on social media, have been married for fourteen years and have a solid foundation. And of course, there are couples who are in very turbulent relationships behind closed doors, but are all over each other for their Instagram followers. Sometimes I read comments on these beautiful pictures of followers “tapping” into their lives and hoping their lives can be like this “happy” couple. My dears, please be careful whose lives you’re “tapping” into. You might as well be placing a curse on your lives before you even find your Mr. Right. Some people truly aren’t all they post to be. Do you think a couple who truly love each other and have a solid marriage should post more of their private lives on social media? At least if you’re in love with someone, you should let everyone know right?

When I look at the quote from Bertrand Russel which states “A happy life must be to a great extent a quiet life, for it is only in an atmosphere of quiet that true joy can live” I’m tempted to believe less is more. Although, when I see the couple I used as a first example above, then maybe the occasional weekly gushing about your significant other is not so bad. Every relationship is unique and I don’t believe showing your followers you love your significant other will cause problems in the relationship or end the relationship. Unless, you are with a person who does not want his/her life displayed on social media.

For those couples who deceive their followers that all is rosy in their lives when in reality it is not, my moment of truth to you is this – at the end of the day, after you have successfully deceived your followers and put your head on your pillow and cry yourself to sleep, who have you in actuality successfully deceived? There’s this saying that when you tell a lie very often, you actually start to believe your own lie. I beg to disagree with this saying when the deceptively “happy” social media couple is involved. At the end of the day, the couple know for a fact they live/portray a lie and cannot believe their lie because they live in their reality which is devoid of happiness.

In closing, do not judge a relationship based on the posts uploaded on social media by a couple. Although no relationship is perfect, nobody uploads pictures of the fights he/she  has with their significant other. Or all the nights he/she lays on the bed with a pillow soaked in tears. If you choose to upload the good, be kind enough to upload the bad as well so your followers know you have a realistic relationship, right? Nah!!! Some couples still have a lot of deceiving to do, hence their followers will only get to see uploads of the good moments only. Even if those good moments have to be faked to be uploaded.