Overboard on social media
It's not just about photos and messages anymore, many are taking to social media to feel good about their relationship.
One of the definitions of the word ‘intimate’ stated by the Oxford dictionary is ‘a private cozy atmosphere’. But with the advent of social media, an intimate moment is hardly intimate anymore. ‘I love you’ messages are all over the pages of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc these days. From celebrities to commoners, everyone is finding it important to congratulate or wish their family and friends online. Even when people see each other every day, they are still eager to post wishes on social media.
Take for instance the tweets Virender Sehwag’s wife, Aarti Sehwag put up. After a gate of the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium was named as the ‘Virender Sehwag Gate’ in honour of the Indian cricketer, Aarti tweeted, “He is a man who has taught me ki zindagi achievements se bahut badkar hai, but still I feel so proud of his achievements as a player and your sensitivity as a person. I am very proud of you Viru and love you deeply. So happy to see a gate named after you (sic).”
There are other celeb couples, too, like Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya, who often let the world know how much they love each other. Nagarjuna also took to Twitter to wish his wife Amala on her birthday. He captioned their photo, “I love you sweetheart. I wish for myself many happy returns of today with you. Happy birthday! (sic).”
Even in Hollywood, actor Ian Somerhalder puts up sweet social media posts about his wife, Nikki Reed. The Hadids’ — Gigi, Bella, Yolanda and Mohamed — timelines are filled with posts about each other. Relationship expert, Harpreet Kaur Kandhari says, “Everyone wants to show how lovey-dovey they are, even if they are not. This is a new-age disease. People who are not content with their life and relationships, take others’ permission to be happy. If someone comments saying they look good together, they are assured that everything is fine.”
Experts also say that since everyone else is doing it, people do not want to feel left out. “If someone’s partner puts up a cute post, others want to show that they love their partners too. There is a pressure that builds up. These days, your social media post should be as big as your achievement,” says another relationship expert, Richa Khetawat.