It’s only natural when you’ve entered a new relationship that you want everyone to know how much love you have for each other.
Relationships on Female First
Unfortunately, for the rest of the world, your romance just isn’t as exciting as it is for you and your man.
The average PDA (Public Display of Affection) is bad enough, but now couples have extended their PDA to social networking sites, making it so the entire world can see their love for one another.
Despite how romantic this might make your relationship seem, others do not agree, as Match.com found in their LoveGeist Report.
Nearly half of those who’ve logged on to social networking sites over the last month have seen at least one of their friends share some form of VDA (Virtual Display of Affection).
Four in ten of those surveyed said that they feel annoyed or embarrassed by these expressions of VDA.
Although 90 per cent of people said that they wouldn’t mind a friend sharing a picture of themselves and their partner, three out of four women said that the biggest VDA no-no is explicit posts between couples.
It’s not all lovey-dovey though, sharing too much about a break up also aggravates the British public with 58 per cent of people saying they’d rather not know about it.
Kate Taylor, resident relationship expert at match.com, said, “We all like to share that tingly feeling you get at the start of a relationship. There’s nothing wrong with letting your close friends know you’re happy, but it’s important to keep in mind who you’re sharing it with.
“It’s unlikely that you’ll be close friends with everyone you interact with on social media. What might seem a sweet comment in the eyes of you and your friends could come across as sounding unintentionally smug in the eyes of an acquaintance. Remember, VDAs invite a similar reception to PDAs, while you might think nothing of a quick smooch on public transport, but it can make observers feel uncomfortable.
“Try to limit your personal messages to a private and secure site, rather than sharing them over social media. In this context, your VDAs remain moving and romantic and you won’t be accused of attention-seeking.”
Kate also had some tips for keeping good social media romance etiquette, take a look –
Remember your audience – It’s easy to forget who sees your social media updates. Your family might be cheering on your relationship, but your boss or your ex won’t be so thrilled. Check your “sharing” options before you post, and always think twice about the content of flirtatious Tweets.
Consider your partner’s audience too – Will their boss see your comments or are their friends prone to teasing? In many cases a partner will enjoy private declarations of love (texts, emails, letters) far more than public ones. Leave it up to them whether or not they share it.
Keep it light – If you do share emotional posts, keep them light-hearted and funny rather than romantic or intense. Ask yourself, “Would I say this message out loud in a group of acquaintances?” If you wouldn’t say it, don’t type it.
Ask yourself why you want to send the VDA – Are you simply happy and excited, or are you feeling insecure? Sometimes, we use public declarations of love as a possessive tool, a kind of “marking our territory” gesture. If you are tempted to fill up your partner’s wall as a way of displaying that they’re taken, you need to stop, and instead work on building up your self-esteem.
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