No matter what social media platform I am on, I always see posts of people showing off the sappy things that their significant other did for them. I have no problem with showing someone you love them in whichever way you know how, my problem lies with the responses. Whenever these posts appear, there is always an overflow of people commenting “#Goals”, “#RelationshipGoals”, or tagging their significant other in the post to prompt them to compete. But after all that, how do you draw the line between the desire to show love and the desire to go viral? With social media and everyone documenting their every waking moment, people’s expectations of their own lives have dramatically increased, almost too much. Apparently simplicity and pure love is extinct, and in order to conform to the times, let me tell you how to have a “#Goals”-worthy relationship.

1. Send the most sappy and lengthy good-morning EVERY day

*vom*

2. Leave gifts on your partner’s doorstep with a note and then disappear

Okay, thanks, but like, can you come back?

3. Buy your girlfriend an abundance of makeup of which you have no idea what the purpose is

Don't feed my addiction.

4. Sneak into your significant other’s house and fill their entire room with balloons and pictures of you two together

But like... what are we going to do with all these balloons now?

5. Get the entire school involved in your promposal (Don’t forget the huge banner hanging from the railing and the party poppers when you say “yes”)

A simple "Will you go to prom with me?" would suffice.

6. Surprise him/her with hundreds of flowers for no reason

I don't have enough vases to keep them all alive!

7. Spontaneously buy your partner a super expensive gift

There is nothing that expensive that I need that bad to justify you spending your own money on me.

8. Purchase matching clothes so that the world will know you are a couple

Honestly, I could never go out in public like this.

9. ALWAYS. POST. A. #MCM. OR. #WCW.

I'd prefer if you just told me how much you loved me on any given day, not just Wednesday.

10. Travel to bunch of places and take artsy photos of one another every day

I can only imagine how stupid this man looked snapping these pictures.

11. Serenade your partner, just because (but record it)

I wouldn't know what to do with myself for those 4-ish minutes. My body would be on fire from uncomfortableness.

12. Coordinate your lock screen on your phone so that they match

Just, why?

13. Only hang out with one another and never, ever spend time with friends

Because when you have a significant other, no one else exists.

14. Say a cheesy line in response to anything he/she says

I would laugh at you forever.

15. And don't forget the goodnight text

I cherish my sleep, don't interrupt it.

Listen, don’t mistake this for me being bitter or ungrateful; I can appreciate a romantic gesture. Any one of these things would be a nice surprise every once in a while, but it’s unrealistic to base an entire relationship off of these ideals. Not every day will be a good day. Some days you don’t want to have to try so hard, you shouldn't, it will make the special days extra special. Having a relationship like this not only sets you up to fail when comparing yourself to other couples, but also because you always have to out-do yourself. Stop putting a dollar value to love and equating materialistic things to affection. Don’t post every detail of your relationship on social media. Let things happen organically and don't set your expectations so high. A relationship should be between two people, not them and the entire world; so I challenge you to stop trying to achieve these #goals and cherish these moments personally so that you can authentically experience true love.