If you’re engaging in the common social media activity of “soft launching”, there’s a chance you’re hurting your relationship even before you start, according to some dating experts.
Soft launching is a social media trend where someone teases their friends and followers, providing hints and a gradual introduction to a potential romantic relationship before the eventual “hard launch” or official boyfriend or girlfriend reveal.
Someone soft launching their new relationship may upload a photo of two coffee cups or two plates of pasta, a picture of holding hands, some cute emoji clues, etc.
In a DailyMail.com interview with Ashwini Nadkarni, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, she said that soft launching on social media can create ‘distrust’ in the relationship.
It may also show that those doing soft launches in social media are gauging other people’s views even before explicitly defining the nature of the relationship, potentially triggering feelings of distrust even before the relationship fully begins.
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Another dating and relationship expert noted that individuals involved in a soft launch who don’t want to remain private may feel they are being intentionally hidden from their partner’s friends.
Soft launching may seem harmless or even fun, but it can create more pressure than people realize, according to Kintija Sluka, a social media expert. A soft launch may become a performance where those who conduct it appear to be testing the waters with their followers first rather than getting to know the other person.
“If you’re posting with the hope of getting a reaction, maybe to make an ex jealous, show you’ve ‘moved on,’ or just to get validation, it can often put the focus on how the relationship looks instead of how it feels,” Sluka added.
However, it’s important to note that the interviews are primarily conducted in a foreign setting, which has a dating culture different from the Philippines and may or may not fully reflect the experiences of those interviewed.
What do you think? Is soft launching your partner a good or bad idea? Please share your thoughts in the comments.