Throughout my life, I’ve had my fair share of romantic relationships. Recently, in those relationships, if I liked a friend’s post that I wasn’t mentioned in, my partner would accuse me of what is now known as micro-cheating.

According to Vogue, micro-cheating is a gray area where actions aren’t exactly unfaithful but they have the potential to make the other partner feel uncomfortable.

Micro-cheating ranges in levels. A few examples include liking another person’s post on social media or hanging out with someone of the opposite gender. Teens and young adults are getting upset over these insignificant acts even though they can be misperceived. This is extremely relevant when it comes to social media.

Everyone who thinks that way needs to take a step back and find the root of their issue. It’s not cheating. It’s a lack of communication and insecurity in a relationship.  

Liking another person’s Instagram post shouldn’t be a big enough deal to cause a breakup. Texting someone of the opposite gender isn’t always infidelity, and to frame it as such would be wrong.

Communication fixes the entire issue of micro-cheating. In a previous relationship, my partner expressed that they were uncomfortable with the comments I’d been leaving on a close friend’s posts, because of this conversation I stopped leaving those comments.

It’s easy to point fingers when a relationship is built on insecurity. However, try to look at it from a new perspective and think about whether their actions were unfaithful or if they were doing it unknowingly.

A simple conversation can go a long way. If you speak up to your romantic partner and stop focusing on the little things, you’ll be much happier in your relationship.

Micro-cheating is a manifestation of the insecurity you harbor, and in reality, it’s usually just a text, a double tap or a conversation. A misunderstanding isn’t worth a breakup, especially when it takes a simple conversation to resolve it.