Does Facebook destroy relationships and friendships? Well, to be honest, no. But social media abuse can crush these connections. It all depends on how you use your time online.
I often say that I miss the 80s or early 90s, because it was a simpler time for me. If I have a problem with someone, I either deal with it on my own or contact them personally. There was no social media for me, at least not until much later. Then everything changed.
How Facebook destroys relationships when used incorrectly
We must keep in mind that, on Facebook, we each have our own pages, and we post what we want, to some extent, i.e. Unfortunately, it can get ugly on Facebook, just as it can on other sites like Instagram.
It doesn’t matter what new social media platform comes along; We can make it whatever we want. So, technically, Facebook doesn’t destroy our relationships or friendships on its own. However, the way we use Facebook can destroy relationships. Here’s how.
- Oversharing
It’s okay to share things on social media. I mean that’s part of what it’s used for.
But, if you share every detail of your life, nothing will be left ambiguous. When you spend time with your friends outside of social media, you won’t have anything to talk about. I’m sure they’ve already seen it on Facebook beforehand anyway.
Oversharing may mean revealing details about your intimate relationships as well, which you should never do. Although your relationship status shouldn’t be secret, you shouldn’t post every detail about what’s going on in your relationship.
Revealing too much can give others reasons to interfere in your relationship, which can cause trouble.
- It can cause jealousy and insecurity
The thing about social media, like Facebook, is that people try to show off their best selfies, their best vacation photos, and even show off their latest purchases. For others, this may seem like an ideal life.
However, just a little intelligence will tell you that people are only showing their best sides. They also have bad selfies, awkward holidays pics, and most of them aren’t constantly buying things.
Unfortunately, people in relationships may feel jealous when their partner views others as “better.” Instead of using logic, they strive to “improve” what they see.
For example, if you see a perfectly filtered selfie, you might try to create a better photo. This could take hours of your time, hours that should be spent doing something more important. But because of jealousy, time on social media is often wasted in competition.
- It can affect sleep and intimacy
If you’re scrolling through Facebook late at night instead of spending time with your partner, that’s a problem. Maybe you’re both doing this at the same time.
However, looking into the lives of others, including celebrities, is detrimental to true intimacy. Staying away from screens for at least an hour before bed is best for encouraging healthy intimacy in relationships.
The same goes for sleep. It’s very difficult to sleep after staring at social media for hours. If you are browsing Facebook, enjoying different posts, you will stay awake for hours, lose your ability to sleep, and then feel tired the next day.
This can have a domino effect, making it difficult to establish healthy work relationships due to irritability and fatigue resulting from lack of sleep. Staying up all night on social media can also strain your intimate relationship because you wake up late while your partner is trying to sleep.
- It can cause marital infidelity
Whether you’re messaging an ex-boyfriend or meeting someone new online, Facebook can be used to commit infidelity. Now, let’s clear this up.
I don’t blame the social platform itself. I put the blame firmly on the person using the platform this way. If you tend to message your exes and are in a committed relationship, you probably shouldn’t be using Facebook or other social media platforms at all.
And you know, it doesn’t start with flirting. It can start as easy as accepting a friend request from someone you should leave alone.
- Family disputes on Facebook
Sometimes family members post rude things to other family members on Facebook. This is so disgusting. However, it seems to be normal these days. These statements can completely destroy relationships and drive a wedge between family members for long periods.
I personally know two sisters who haven’t spoken in 5 years due to a social media argument. So, does Facebook destroy relationships? No, but fighting with family members while using Facebook could certainly lead to this.
- Contact via Facebook only
I know you’ve noticed those vague posts and copied/pasted quotes that seem to be directed at someone. Yes, that is Facebook communication. Often times, you can scroll through Facebook and see when couples are having problems. This is because someone posts quotes to express how they feel.
If you know who their VIP partner is, they will soon be posting quotes as well. It’s interesting how two people can fight over cryptic quotes and messages, while at home they completely ignore each other. It may not seem like that big a deal, but it will slowly erode the relationship.
It’s not the platform, it’s the person
Facebook destroys relationships and friendships if you use it in an unhealthy way. But remember, Facebook is just a social media platform. It can also be used to connect with long-lost friends and promote small businesses. So, it depends on your mindset.
