She Strengthens

The Illusion of Intimacy in the Digital Age

This past weekend, my social media feeds were flooded with wedding photos and updates. It seemed like every other post was a picture of a beaming bride, a dashing groom, or a heartfelt message from a loved one. At first, I was thrilled to see my friends and acquaintances celebrating their special day. But as I scrolled through my feeds, I began to feel uneasy.

Why were these intimate moments being shared with thousands of strangers? Why did I need to see the intricate details of someone’s wedding cake or the tears in the bride’s father’s eyes? It felt like I was intruding on a private moment, one that should be reserved for those closest to the couple.

The Commercialization of Love

This phenomenon is not limited to weddings. We’ve commercialized love, packaging every aspect of our romantic relationships into shareable, likable, and consumable bites. We announce our relationships on social media, complete with carefully curated photos and witty captions. We share our engagements, complete with elaborate ring shots and sentimental vows. And we do it all for the validation of our online friends.

But what’s the cost of this digital intimacy? We’re sacrificing true connections with others for the fleeting thrill of likes and comments. We’re reducing our most personal moments to a series of Instagram posts, stripping them of their emotional depth and complexity.

The Pressure to Conform

My friend Crissy, a successful and independent individual, is often told by well-meaning friends that she’ll find her perfect match someday. But what they’re really saying is that she needs to find someone to complete her, to validate her existence. They imagine her as one half of a couple, rather than a whole person with her own agency and desires.

This pressure to conform to societal norms is suffocating. We’re taught that our relationships must be public, must be validated by others, or they’re not real. We’re forced to perform our love for the world to see, rather than nurturing it in private.

The Loss of Intimacy

As I reflect on the way we’re choosing to share our love and relationships online, I’m left feeling disillusioned. What’s left of intimacy if even the most private moments are shared with the world? Don’t we want to reserve some aspects of our lives for ourselves, rather than broadcasting them to the masses?

I don’t want to prove my love to anyone. I don’t want to gather likes and comments to validate my relationships. I want to cherish my intimate moments, to keep them sacred and special. And I want the same for others.

In the end, it’s not about the number of likes or comments we receive. It’s about the depth and authenticity of our connections with others. It’s time to rethink the way we’re sharing our love and relationships online, and to reclaim intimacy in the digital age.