Vogue recently came out with an article stating that having a boyfriend is ‘embarrassing’ and that women are increasingly hiding the fact that they have a partner online. A reason this may be seen as embarrassing to those online is if the person posting their partner is a content creator or a celebrity, those with parasocial relationships with these people may see the partner as a threat. Content creators often share their whole life on social media (including their partners), and this could be seen as embarrassing or weird. If you’re going to share your whole life on social media, you should be ready for hate or malice online. However, this does not necessarily excuse hate, it’s just a warning if you decide to post your life online.
On a different note, if you share about your partner online, the last thing you should worry about is people’s backlash. The point of posting them is to show that you love your partner and love being with them, and nobody should be ashamed or embarrassed of that. If you truly love your partner, you won’t see them as an embarrassment. Instead feel glad that you have someone as good as them. ‘Embarrassing’ moments in relationships will be seen as your partner’s best qualities and quirks. Truly, it all comes down to personal preferences, like if you like to live more privately you may not like to have your personal moments in life plastered online for all to see.
Another reason this may seem ‘embarrassing’ is that envy online from those who do not have a partner and jealousy can turn into hatred very fast. Those who are single and don’t want a partner could also have secondhand embarrassment for a content creator if the reason they were following them in the first place is because they were single and they saw them as an idol. If they were to hard launch a partner, they’d feel disappointed because the one thing they had in common with the creator is gone.
Parasocial relationships are the main issue when it comes to posting your partner online. Someone who only knows your online persona and sees you as an idol/crush may take it personally if you randomly start to post a partner. It all comes down to how you and your partner feel about posting each other online.
Another reason why boyfriends may seem embarrassing is due to PDA, but this is normal human behavior with someone you love (to an extent). If you are in a genuine relationship with someone, there shouldn’t be an issue with showing this person off online or in real life.
Others may seem uncomfortable with you holding hands or hugging your partner in public, but this is usually their personal belief and should not affect your relationship. You should never be embarrassed of someone you love, and if you are, take it up with them and try to resolve the situation the best way possible.
