Celebrity Couple PDA On Social Media: A Psychological Perspective

Many of us have reacted differently to celebrity couple PDA on social media. A spectacle that fans of these celebrities could not witness decades ago is now a regular event on the timeline. If you are unfamiliar with the acronym, PDA stands for public display of affection in its basic terms.

In Nigeria, one of the most popular celebrity couples who are being trolled countless times for PDA on social media is Anita Joseph-Olagunju and husband, Joseph Olagunju. The engrossed lovebirds are very relentless in their mission to display intimacy online, despite all that has been said. Sometime early this year, the sultry actress rebutted a fan who had speculated that Anita’s marriage was prone to fail from regular PDA of their affair on Instagram. Anita replied, “Marriage is to be enjoyed, not endured. Immediately you start to endure then it is time to leave.
“Posting your partner on social media cannot break your marriage or relationship. What will break will break, and what will spoil, will spoil ….Whether you show it off on SM or not.”

The Olagunjus are not the only celebrities who put up flicks of affection on social media.

Anita Joseph and husband, Mc Fish

Another couple known to flaunt their affection on social media is EME boss Banky W and his sizzling wife Adesua. These two have long gotten the attention of everyone from the characters they played in the Nollywood blockbuster film “The Wedding Party”. Fans of the enviable duo continue to drool over any slightest form of affection displayed by these two on social media.

Since the advent of social media, the internet has experienced more PDAs within the celebrity lifestyle amid celebrity marriage crashes.

While some fans are fascinated by the most private lives of these celebrities and their performative display of affection on social media, others are against these couples locking lips on the wild space of the internet. This begs the question: why do celebrity couples opt for PDA on social media against all odds? We might not be able to know or generalise their reasons but Psychology Today suggests that social media PDA happens for one of two very different reasons—the couples are either truly happy or they are trying to overcompensate for lack of love in their relationship.

Reiterating this, some of these fans believe that the frequent PDA of celebrity couples on social media is one of the main reasons why these celebrities do not have lasting relationships, on the other hand, some see it as a performative act done to reveal intimacy to their fans, while there are still some who think that these celebrities do not necessarily need to prove or perform anything other than to have a healthy relationship because in the long run time discloses it all.

Adesua and Banky Wellington – Image – Instagram – bankywellington

Eunice Joseph, a certified psychologist and teletherapist, says fans will always read different meanings to Celebrity PDA, depending on the “assumption one already has about the relationship or celebrity in question.” “Let’s say a celebrity posts a video of their husband serving her food in bed. FAN A might interpret it as a genuine act of love, while FAN B will say he has been charmed that there is no way a real man will behave like that. FAN C will say they are doing too much and should not have shared the video,” she says. “Again, it boils down to perspective.” That’s right. Fans will always want to imagine the lives of these celebrities and try to second-guess their realities.

Eunice adds that sometimes, these comments from social media can influence how celebrities react or act toward their partner. And the effect is done without the person even realizing that it has, “but it should not have any lasting damage on the marriage/relationship if it was founded on genuine mutual love.”

A research from mindbodygreen, explains that these comments can contribute to unrealistic expectations for what relationships are supposed to be, and couples may spend more time curating an “image” of who they are rather than focusing on the marriage or relationship itself.

Eunice attests too by saying, “I believe it might mount pressure not to disappoint fans, or give them a reason to think less of them. Let’s say a celebrity starts by showing much of their partner from the start, they will feel the need to keep posting to keep up with appearances even when the relationship gets sour. The relationship or marriage in question will stay longer than necessary because of people’s expectations invested in the relationship.”

That being acknowledged, what is assumed of celebrity couples who do not display affection on social media? Eunice says, “The common assumption will be that they are faking it and not really happy, but the truth remains: we will never know! It is good we understand that there are people who prefer to love loudly, Celebrity or not; and there is nothing wrong with that. It all boils down to the persons involved in the relationship. I will always advise you to enjoy the relationship and cherish the memories it creates. If it ends, good; if it does not, still good because the number of years or months spent while in the relationship would have gone by whether or not you were in a relationship. Do not burden yourself with how and when it will end as long as you are enjoying the process; keep it moving.”