Do you consider certain behavioir on social media (particularly Instagram), where your partner likes the scantily clad pictures of other people as cheating? Well, some people are calling this phenomenon micro cheating.
Some say liking a sexy Instagram picture of a friend or acquaintance is no big deal. Others view such behaviour, called microcheating, as infidelity or a path to it.
To get a closer picture of what microcheating entails, imagine scrolling through your instagram and noticing that your boyfriend or girlfriend liking a scantily clad photo of his coworker wearing a crop top and booty shorts.
And when you go on to inspect further, you see a romantic or flirtatiois comment such as “Up late looking at this.” The most natural reaction is for you to flare up and demand explanations simply because you believe you deserve more respect than this.
The natural reaction of a cheater or microcheater is to gaslight you, texting back and doing all they can to explain that it isnt a big deal. Some may even refer to you as a stalker. Ultimately, you will get an apology, reconcile and get a promise from them bever to post any flirtatious comments on peoples instagram and what not.
The fact is people that are involved in microcheating tend to put themselves first before anything else.
It is however important to note that some people have no problem with such behaviour. Trying to exert control over social media is just a waste of energy and a lot of people have no care in the world about the social-media activity of their partners.
Such people believe that you’re a millennial in a relationship and you should be able to accept that there are a lot of good-looking people on your lover’s social media pages. As a matter of fact, some even go ahead to like the photos that their partners happen to like!
Since microcheating is such a gray area, therapists advise couples to set their own boundaries. Move your covert expectations out into the open. There is a need to be clear about the impact your interactions on social media have on each other, so that you can both feel aligned, honoured and respected.
And if someone in the relationship is particularly bothered by a partner’s online activity, understanding is key. If one person is reacting to something, there is probably a story there. Maybe they were hurt and someone stepped out on them [in a past relationship] and you liking a photo is a story that keeps them stuck there.
It is important that you are open, honest and set neccessary boundaries.