Are the internet and technology causing major problems in your relationship? Is your laptop becoming ‘the other party’ trying to split you two up? Read these 5 issues that some couples may be facing and check whether or not they are things that are interfering with your relationship.
1. Lack of time – Let’s be honest here. You spend a lot more time on the internet and with your social media friends than you are willing to admit. Time spent on the computer is time spent away from your relationship. What if the two hours you spent watching funny YouTube videos or chatting with your Facebook friends were spent with your boyfriend or girlfriend instead?
Every relationship needs time invested in it for it to work. This does not necessarily mean time running errands together or going to the grocery store together. It means time spent together, actually doing something together. Go for a walk, take a picnic, or sit on the beach and talk together. Only by being comfortable in each other’s company, and talking, can two people truly get to know each other.
2. Straying – Like it or not, the distractions found on the internet are endless. From the seductive ads on the side of page you’re scrolling through, to the many ways of contacting available people through chat lines. Spending more time on the internet, and less time with your lover, can cause anyone to stray from their relationship. An online affair is still an affair. Do yourself a favor and skip the temptation.
3. Unrealistic expectations – Everybody wants the perfect relationship. Everybody wants to know how to ‘fix’ their relationship problems, and it’s easy to go to Google in an attempt to find answers. The truth is, no relationship is perfect. And yours will probably never be either. But that doesn’t mean there is something wrong with your relationship. It just means, that when you feel there is something that needs fixing in your relationship, you need to stop going to Google and start going to your partner instead.
Social media is also another place where ‘perfect relationships’ pop up. People are often surprised when a couple splits up because the week before, that same couple may have portrayed themselves as being very happy on Facebook or Instagram. Don’t compare yourself to others. Things are not always as they seem. Instead, focus on your own relationship and leave others to do the same with theirs.
4. Communication – These days, it is so easy to send an instant message rather than talking in person. A lack of face to face contact can have dire consequences on any relationship. When communicating via text or online, there is no emotion that you can convey, (apart from little smiley faces and cute emoticons) and things can be misread. Do not let this be you. Instead of sending an instant message, pick up your cell and actually talk. A short call is better than no call.
5. Temptation to spy on your boyfriend or girlfriend – It is very easy to pick up your significant other’s iPad and have a peek at their email, Facebook messages, Skype call logs, etc. Do not. Not only does it show an entire lack of trust, it could also be considered a massive breach in privacy. If you want to know what your boyfriend or girlfriend has been up to, have a conversation. Ask them. It all comes back to communication.
If any of these problems sound familiar to you, begin to be aware of how technology is affecting your relationship, and start doing something about it. If it is your other half that is showing signs of getting too intimate with the internet, take them away to an internet free zone and show them how much more desirable you are than the internet.
