Is Facebook Hurting Your Relationship?

Facebook tops the list as being the most innovative and commonly used social media application. With a user's ability to create a fan page, group, or personal profile, one person is able to utilize this program for many functions. For example, someone could create a fan page for their business, a group page for their hobby, and a personal profile for "personal" use. What makes Facebook such a great tool is that there are privacy settings that give a user the ability to control who is able to view their page through internal and external search engines. Due to these privacy settings that are made available, users are able to create profiles using fake identities, or profiles that their significant others may not be aware of.

Facebook have created a lot of problems and tension in many relationships. Either people are posting information that is deemed either inappropriate or too person such as explicit photos and/or personal information, or people are blocking their significant other from accessing their information. Blocking information from your partner can result in arguments, infidelity, accusations, and possibly break-ups.  Some may feel that what they put on their profile is personal, but others may question what constitutes as "too personal" for your partner, but yet appropriate to say to the world.

If this occurred, it is likely that one will suspect this person of cheating; which is a natural instinct of suspecting betrayal. But the problem does not lie in the accusation; it lies in how to go about addressing the concern. After speaking with individuals who are in committed relationships, there were quite a few that felt that this particular action is a sign of trouble within the relationship, while others felt that it should be addressed before making judgment. On the other hand, there was one individual who stated that her and her partner goes as far as sharing each other's login information, simply because neither one of them has anything to hide.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a Facebook page while being in a relationship. It becomes an issue when one begins to hide information or certain aspects of the page that makes the other party question their motives. If you are someone who finds out that your partner has a profile that you're not aware of, rather than make any judgments, it is best to address it and ask why was this information was kept hidden. It is always best to approach a person with an issue rather than holding in and letting your emotions bottle up inside until they explode.

On the other hand, if you are someone who feels that you must hide your online identity from your significant other, then it is time to question your actions. There is nothing worse than feeling as if you are forced to act in secret rather than to being yourself openly. In contrast, finding out that your significant other has been hiding information from you can result in emotional and mental damage, along with trustworthiness.

Everyone is entitled to their privacy. It is perfectly okay to have certain aspects of your life kept to yourself. However, if something you do is okay for others to see, then it should be okay for your partner as well.