Before social media, relationships were relatively private. The details of a couple’s relationship were kept only between the two individuals. One of the most important aspects of a relationship is privacy. Contrary to the past, some couples today use their online profile to publicly express their romantic relationship. 

Jadon Gonzales and Edith Gonzalez met in the fall semester of 2021. The two lived across the hall from one another in Purcell but did not speak to one another often. A common gesture in Purcell at the time was leaving your door open to conversate with people passing by. Eventually, Edith stopped by in passing and had a conversation with Jadon. The pair then became close friends which eventually lead to their romantic relationship. 

Some of the major platforms used among college students are Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. All three of these social platforms include a “private story” feature, an appealing factory for young adults. The private story feature is intended to share what you’re doing with a select group of people rather than everyone on your page. 

“I have a lot of interesting family members I’m connected with on social media. I have a private story on Instagram but it’s not necessarily private, more for just friends,” said freshman music performance major Edith Gonzalez. 

It’s exciting to take photos and share snippets of your relationship with friends and followers online. Social platforms are a great way to keep friends and family updated on what’s happening in your life. However, social media can also confuse and complicate love. The constant opinions of friends and family online can doubt the quality or satisfaction of a relationship. Keeping a relationship offline allows couples to live in the moment and not focus on if what they’re doing is flawless enough to share online. Social media has the power to connect and inform but if used incorrectly, invades privacy. 

Keeping your relationship private does not mean you never talk about or share about it. It also does not necessarily mean you’re keeping the relationship a secret. Choosing to keep your relationship off social media means valuing the intimacy between one another. Jadon and Edith specifically choose who they want to keep in the know about their relationship with their private stories. The couple refer to their relationship as “private but not a secret” online and offline. The two enjoy sharing aspects of their relationship, but only in a private circle with individuals of their choosing. 

“I don’t necessarily agree with putting your relationship business online,” said freshman Biology major Jadon Gonzales. “I feel like it’s almost disrespectful to your partner and basically clowning them”. 

“The way we view our relationship is private but not a secret. We’re okay with people knowing about our relationship but we control who knows and what we allow them to know,” said freshman Edith Gonzalez.

The lives and relationships of young adults today are strongly connected to social media.  Social media acts as an online portfolio for lives and relationships. Users can share their personalities, emotions, memories, or experiences for anyone to see. Social media can be a valuable way to stay connected with friends and family. However, the nature of relationships continues to change with the growth of social media. 

Behind the scenes of their private stories, Jadon and Edith genuinely enjoy spending time watching TV together. For the couple, watching tv is a cherished time together no one knows about (even their friends online). Jadon, who is not a big fan of Harry Potter, will watch the series with Edith just because he enjoys spending time with her. The couple also enjoys trying out new places to eat together and just talking and eating with one another. Aside from displaying on Instagram the goofy side of one another, Jadon and Edith’s favorite thing about each other is the time they spend together laughing. No matter how much the two choose to share online regarding their relationship, the most cherished time the couple spends together is laughing.