There are many people who just love the social media. For them, everything and anything happening in their lives has to be shared with the world. Sometimes they even defy the common rule and law of protecting minors with their inclusion in some posts. The public dissemination of otherwise private information ranges from birthdays of family members or friends, awards, academic qualifications, attainments, marriages, children’s academic achievements and other celebrations and accolades. That is the choice of posters.

There is yet another group of people that guards their territories religiously. This kind does not value the sharing of ‘inside’ information with outsiders through any social media channel. They share intimate information with their inner circles and believe in the utmost privacy. That is their nature.    

However, such characters may become problematic in later years, especially when the two types described above fall in love and marry. The ‘noisy’ versus the ‘quiet’ are bound to clash because of the tendency to run marriages or relationships on social media.

I was watching a programme Divorce Court on TV and social media became the bone of contention for one couple. The husband complained that the wife, among other things, posts anything, even about their quarrels and disagreements. This couple may not be the only one caught up in this social media tug-of-war. There are many and while divorce may not be their tribulation, they face other profound issues.

I believe social media interactions ought to have limits. Some have made their lives predictable with social media posts—it becomes easy to know how their relationships are doing by simply checking their statuses. The world becomes aware about their general mood, when they argue, make up and are treated like heaven. One cannot disseminate their whole information about family, husband, children and friends—positive or negative—on social media. Again, you do not resolve your problems on social media like many people do.

Too much exposure opens our lives to unwanted scrutiny and external interferences. And it’s no secret to many that the lives portrayed on social media do not at all tally with the reality on the ground. We pretend and practically live lives for others. Nobody’s life can be as perfect as portrayed on social media.

In short, let us not use social media as a means of getting back at others, embarrassing them or ‘living the life of luxury’ just so we can impress. There should be territories we need to safeguard.

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