The cuffing season bae-sics. Why “relationship goals” are overrated

By VALERIE GIBSON

Scrolling through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other various other social media sites, it seems as though you are being bombarded with photos, statuses and tweets about other people’s relationships.

With the weather outside turning from “sweatier” weather to “sweater” weather, singles everywhere are on the hunt for a relationship to fill their cold weather cuddling needs.

Just about every college student has a social media profile, making it virtually impossible to avoid exposure to the idea of “relationship goals.”

Urban dictionary defines “relationship goals” as “A couple who are the best couple out there. They are the power couple. Everyone wants to be like them.” Examples of these so called “relationship goals” are usually seen on Instagram and Twitter, showing perfectly edited pictures of couples doing things such as working out, traveling, cooking or even taking naps together.

But behind every post are two people trying to figure out each other’s’ quirks and daily routines. They are romanized through the way they personify themselves as a couple over social media. I for one am guilty of this. My boyfriend and I are told just about once a week that we are “goals.”

It makes me think: what really are goals? Is it a goal to be able to get through the day without fighting? Is it goals to be able to hold a conversation for more than five minutes? Or is it a goal to be able to decide what TV show to binge watch on Netflix next?

Day after day, we all scroll through Instagram and see people with their significant others taking trips to the beach or getting coffee at the Starbucks down the street. But why are these plain couple-y things blown into something that has its own hashtag?

Dating should not be all about getting that perfect shot or even being on your phone when you are around you significant other at all; it should be about asking how each other’s’ days are going and laughing about a funny joke you heard earlier.

With all the buzz about relationships that get posted every day, it makes everyone want to jump onto the bandwagon and have someone to post about, especially during this time of year. “Cuffing season” is the season of settling down and lasts from Nov. 1 until Feb. 15.

Between these four short months, relationships bloom as the temperatures lower and then die just past Valentine’s Day. I think the idea of there being a dating “season” started just around the time social media really became present in everyday life.

Nobody wants to be left out of couples’ Halloween costumes, Thanksgiving Day family dinners, kisses under the mistletoe, the infamous New Year’s kiss or getting flowers and candy for Valentine’s Day.

As “cuffing season” begins it is wise to make sure you are starting a relationship based on the person and your connections, not just for the likes and in an effort to reach “goals” status.