Technology… we can’t live with it, but we can’t live without it these days, either. Even if we want nothing to do with technology and social media, we’re almost forced to keep up with this norm. Think about it – at work, it’s often required for employees to be a part of the company’s Facebook page. If you don’t have an Instagram, people look at you like you have five heads.
Technology certainly has many benefits, but is has truly taken away the act of being personal with one another. Actual human connection has been lost through this rise in technology and social media. So in this technology-filled time, is it possible to find true love? Is it possible to find a meaningful relationship when your phone is attached to your hand? Who are you dating here – your boyfriend, or your iPhone?
Here are a few reasons why technology is seriously ruining your chances at finding a meaningful relationship. Take these as food for thought, and next time you go to text him, try something more personal instead.
- You can’t put your phone down on the date. How are you supposed to get to know him if you are glued to your iPhone the entire time? We often don’t realize that on a date, we might be nervous, and we resort to checking our phone because it creates this technological barrier. Put the phone down, even turn it off, and give him a chance. Get to know him for who he is, and give him the undivided attention he deserves.
- You can lie easier in text than you can in person. When you text, you have time to think about things. More time to think = more time to make up excuses. Maybe you can’t meet up tonight because you want to see your girlfriends, but you feel bad to blow him off. It’s easier to text him and lie, than to tell him in person; this is where the disconnect starts to happen. If you have to start telling lies via text, the honesty in your relationship will fade.
- You can spend hours deciphering his text. Some of us are seriously paranoid, and think that every single punctuation mark has a hidden meaning. Why did he write, “hey.” instead of, “hey”? Does the period mean he’s mad? Ugh, he’s definitely mad; or is he trying to play it cool? You can easily spend a solid 24 hours freaking out over a ridiculous period in a text message that probably meant nothing. What could this wasted time be spent doing? Calling him up and talking on the phone, or meeting for coffee on your way to work. The moments are what count, not his text “morse code.”
- You think it’s easier to text than call. How many of us are guilty of saying, “Just text me, it’s easier.” We don’t have a moment to pick up the phone and actually TALK to each other today. The worst part of this is that we play texting games where we definitely can’t text him back within a shorter period of time than it took him to text us back. Take the two seconds to dial his number and get in a meaningful conversation. It’s hard to express your true emotions through emojis.
- You’re obsessed over when you’ll become Facebook official. Since when did Facebook Official become the new City Hall? Newsflash: making your relationship official on Facebook does not make it meaningful or unbreakable. Are you going on dates, enjoying your conversations together, and starting to become a bigger part of each other’s lives? THAT is official, not some status update.
- You’re more concerned about the image than the relationship. Instead of enjoying the restaurant together, you stop him out front for half an hour to get the perfect selfie. All you care about is the image- how other people perceive you on social media, and making it out that you have a perfect life. But what good is presenting yourself as happy to the world, when you secretly are unfulfilled in your relationship? Forget about the image; if you two truly have a meaningful relationship, that happiness will resonate to the rest of the world.
