You’ve done it, I’ve done it and if you haven't yet, you’ve probably considered it before. Remember when it became a thing? I’d like to think the initial intent behind the beginning of the soft launch was for the thrill and build up of sharing your relationship with ‘mystery man’. 

From my understanding, ‘private but not secret’ is not about being private anymore, but rather hiding from judgement. Cropping photos, blurring faces and strategic angles are chores concealed under the facade of fun and something we feel obligated to do just in case things don’t work out with your boyfriend. 

If you’ve caught yourself thinking “Are we in a good place to hardlaunch right now?” or “Will he embarrass me…” It’s probably a good time to question whether they’re de-valuing you; soft launching is a fun project, not a serious marketing campaign with KPIs to meet.

Today it feels like roles have been flipped: relationships are looked down upon, but being hot, single and independent is celebrated. Sharing your relationship on social media is like an open invitation for jealousy, negative judgement - and even mass unfollowing for feminist public figures. 

The girls don’t post because they’re embarrassed, but rather out of fear of how they’ll now be perceived - when you enter a relationship, a woman's value ends up being based on who they’re dating, while men typically go unscathed. It’s not about someone ‘stealing your man’ but rather the fact that you appear less independent. 

In a world where we have more control of our career, goals and dream life, being in a relationship isn’t always hierarchical! We don't need to depend on men financially if we don’t want to, we can still be advocates for feminism and equal rights while still being in a relationship

When we were little we wanted to grow up. Get a boyfriend, fall in love, the whole ordeal. The idea of being without a partner or husband has been alienated for centuries - you’d turn into the crazy cat lady, or the grumpy old woman next door. 

With the uprising of red pill content, men with extremist ideologies and backward beliefs are put in the spotlight - while this sounds like we’re doomed to be single for life, this is actually a blessing!

It’s easier to see what to look out for, what you don’t want in your future partner and red flags you can't get behind - a quick stalk of their social media or chat about their favourite creators is enough to understand the type of content they consume and their stance on things you value.