To say social media has
had a profound effect on how individuals interact is certainly not overstating
the facts. The popularity of resources like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and
Snapchat has led to so many people taking advantage of online platforms to
connect with friends and family. Not to mention prospective partners. Here are
some of the ways that social media is influencing relationships.

We have so many
options

Once upon a time,
singles who were looking for potential partners for a relationship had a
relatively limited range of options available to them. At the weekend they
might head into their local singles bars or nightclubs where they would be
presented with a selection of possible candidates for romance. The problem is
they would bump into the same individuals, week in week out, and there would be
a limited likelihood of ever encountering people who were outwith their local
geographic catchment area. The advent of social media and online dating has changed
all that completely. You can interact with so many people by using a variety of
platforms like this, building
relationships and introducing yourself to a diverse cross-section of talent.
There are sites catering to every possible aspiration, whether you are
particularly interested in dating divorcees, or are looking for casual
encounters or marriage.

Communication is
instant, and available 24/7

Pre-social media,
singles might take some time to nurture a relationship and get to know
potential partners. Various online platforms have been introduced that have
revolutionized the possibilities. We can now get in touch with people we are
drawn to in a few keyboard clicks. The technology is there to make an instant
impression by uploading photographs to our favorite social media outlets and
inviting people we might be interested in to make comments. There are all sorts
of messenger services available that provide a streamlined communication
platform, with the ability to pass messages at any time.

Social media
encourages shorthand

An unfortunate aspect
of social media is the way that it can provoke a sense of urgency to the extent
that people no longer spend a great deal of time fretting over what they are
going to say. Previously, potential partners might communicate in a variety of
methods, including phone calls or even writing letters. Nowadays, we all have
access to smart devices where we can type out messages in a short space of
time. One side effect of this is that subtle nuances can be lost in
translation, with messages being misinterpreted.

We can see the bigger
picture

Social media is
multi-layered. You could be communicating with someone you are interested in
via a dating site, but at the same time you could quite readily check out other
aspects of their background by poring over their Facebook pages or Twitter
feeds. This shouldn’t necessarily be seen as snooping – perhaps a more accurate
description would be merely taking an interest in the fact that people can have
a considerable digital footprint these days. It is often worthwhile gauging the
extent to which you can develop chemistry with someone by checking out their
friendship group, paying attention to the hobbies they have.

Important connections
can be lost in the noise

In traditional dating
outlets such as bars or social functions, it was quite easy to develop
one-to-one communication channels. Social media can be very distracting. You
might be drawn to someone in particular and begin messaging them regularly,
only to find yourself being torn in another direction because there is simply
so much to pay attention to. While it can be very tempting to take advantage of
all the options that are presented by social media, it is sometimes worthwhile to
take a step backward and consider what type of relationship you are truly
willing to commit to.

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