Not every couple needs a social media reality show

I’ve never quite understood the compulsion. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? That pervasive, almost aggressive need for couples to broadcast every single detail of their relationship on social media.

From the overly curated “date night” photos that look more like professional shoots to the “prank” vids with obviously rehearsed reactions to the saccharine paragraphs declaring undying love, it feels like an unspoken competition for who can appear the most enamored. And honestly, I can’t help but wonder: why do people try so hard to convince everyone else of their love, when that energy could be poured directly into the person standing right next to you?

Not every relationship needs to be a reality show. It certainly doesn’t require a dedicated social media page, complete with a cutesy couple hashtag and a timeline of every “milestone” meticulously documented for public consumption.

When I scroll through my feed and see couples constantly telling the world how much they’re allegedly in love, a cynical thought always buzzes in my mind: are you really that enamored with each other or are you just performing? It feels, to me, like the former often takes a backseat to the latter.

There’s a clear distinction, in my experience, between genuinely being in love and wanting everyone on your friend list (and their aunties) to know you’re in love. The latter often feels less about the profound connection between two people and more about the attention, the validation and the coveted “likes.” It’s as if the relationship isn’t fully real or successful until it has been stamped with public approval.

This constant content production to prove or justify your bond isn’t just exhausting; it’s a profound distraction from the very thing you claim to cherish.

True love, or at least the kind I understand and aspire to, is a private dance, not a public spectacle. It thrives in the quiet moments, the shared glances, the inside jokes, the unwavering support when no one else is watching. It doesn’t need a spotlight, an algorithm or a comment section to affirm its existence. When you’re spending precious moments posing for the perfect “candid” shot, crafting the ideal caption and checking how many people have celebrated your latest anniversary post, you’re not truly living in that love. You’re performing it. You’re trading intimate, real-life connection for digital applause. (Don’t get me started on Valentine’s gift posts. Of course you got a gift on Feb. 14. Show us what he/she gave you randomly “just because” on Sept. 25 and make us jealous.)

And then there’s the truly baffling phenomenon that follows these highly publicized unions: the breakup statement. I’ve always found it hilariously absurd when everyday, common folk – not celebrities, not public figures with brands to protect – release a formal statement announcing their split.

It’s as if they’ve hired a publicist for a relationship that was only ever “public” within their social media bubble. “After much consideration and mutual respect…” it usually begins, mimicking the very media releases from Hollywood couples. Too formal, too theatrical, too… unnecessary.

There is something deliciously ironic about those relationships ending. The ones that were painstakingly documented, every kiss, every trip, every anniversary plastered across feeds with declarations of “soulmates forever.”

When they inevitably unravel, it makes you pause and think, “Hmm, maybe you should have spent more time loving each other and less time putting on a show in PretendLand.”

It’s a bitter truth, perhaps, but a truth nonetheless: the relationships that scream the loudest are often those with the most to prove and, ironically, often the first to crumble under the weight of their own manufactured perfection.

This isn’t to say that sharing joy is wrong or that every post is an act of desperation. Of course not. It’s the compulsion, the reliance on external validation, and the shift from living life to producing content about life that concerns me.

On the flip side, here’s my shoutout to the low-key couples. The ones you rarely see posting overly romanticized photos. The ones whose love you sense through their quiet confidence, their genuine smiles and the way they look at each other when they think no one is watching. They just do their thing. They live in their love, nourish it privately and don’t feel the need to log every detail of their relationship for public consumption. They understand that the true strength of a bond isn’t measured in likes or comments, but in the unseen, unshared moments that form the bedrock of a genuine connection.

In a world obsessed with broadcasting, perhaps the most profound act of love is simply to be in love, quietly and contentedly, without an audience. It’s a radical notion, maybe, but I believe it’s the only way to truly experience the depth and beauty that love has to offer.