Online oversharing causes problems for couples

Written by

Laura M. Holson for the New York Times:

Relationships are hard enough. But the rise of social media — where sharing private moments is encouraged, and provocative and confessional postings can help build a following — has created a new source of friction for couples: what is fair game for sharing with the world?

It may seem like common sense not to overshare online about your relationship, we’re still collectively working out the rules of online etiquette. It may be a good idea to get this out on the table early on in the relationship to avoid problems farther down the road.



  • lucascott

    Part of this issue is that some folks think that there are different rules when it comes to social media. There aren’t. You still have to respect your friends,  your partners. That’s where a lot of these folks are failing, they forget about that whole respect thing

  • countermind

    Why is mutual respect and a grasp of causality such a difficult concept for people nowadays? Seems to me we are headed for a serious social crisis or worldview change…

    • http://twitter.com/cantubury kent norton

       we are already in a social crisis; we no longer honor the Rousseau ‘social contract’ margaret thatcher once said there is a fine line between savages and cultured man; we have crossed it backward. the media has made it acceptgable to insult, devalue and disrespect others

  • http://www.thegraphicmac.com/ JimD

    I’m not sure why people feel the need to share aspects of their personal relationships with people they don’t know to begin with. I’m talking serious aspects of relationships, not “my friend/spouse and I had ice cream” type of sharing.

    If my wife and i have an argument, I don’t even tell my own family 90% of the time, let alone people on FB or Twitter.

    • http://twitter.com/Moeskido Moeskido

      Attention- and approval-seeking by infantilized adults.

  • http://mangochut.net/ mangochutney

    Apart from the occasional ice cream, nothing regarding my girlfriend and/or our relationship is going on Twitter or other social networks. It doesn’t belong there.

    I have enough to share with online friends that has nothing to do with my girlfriend or my family.

    I agree with @Moeskido:disqus, people who overshare private issues have a few psychological issues to deal with.