The internet is breaking down. Not in the literal sense, but in the way it dissects every breath, movement, and response in romantic relationships. All of a sudden, every text message is analysed, every silence becomes an issue, and every slightly different choice of words becomes a red flag.
I recently came across a video featuring podcaster Raj Shamani, who explored the subtlety of leaving out the word I from “I love you” and how that missing pronoun supposedly signals a lack of presence or emotional investment. He referenced research by Dr James W Pennebaker on the power of pronouns, and that alone sent the internet into a spiral of overanalysis and panic, which raises a question worth addressing: are we reading into things a little too much?
The new generation is unmatched at creating language and inventing fresh ways to express emotion, but the internet has also started manufacturing standards that are fake, unrealistic, and frankly, problematic. TikTok and Instagram are constantly pushing trends that turn completely normal behaviours into crises, turn-offs, or weird new rules that promise to “expose the truth” about your partner. Entire ecosystems now exist just to diagnose perfectly normal relationships. TikTok’s therapy talkers have turned amateur psychology into entertainment, and couples are paying for it.
And somehow, in this chaos, the internet has equated saying “love you” instead of “I love you” with the infamous one-letter “K”. The comparison is completely misplaced. “K” is a known marker of low effort and detachment, and it absolutely deserves to be addressed if it appears in place of an “okay” without reason. But “love you” or “love you too” still carry warmth and presence, and should be recognised as genuine expressions of care. The only time the full three words universally matter is the first time they are said, because that moment is big, and it deserves the full emotional weight. After that, no relationship should be punished for the natural shorthand that comes with comfort.
Yet online, there is a growing belief that relationships must follow a script. If “I love you” is not delivered in full form every single time, the relationship is suddenly labelled as lacking effort or commitment. These rigid pronoun expectations have nothing to do with the authenticity or strength of a relationship.
It almost feels like the internet is bored. Content creators are digging into microscopic details simply to produce viral theories, rewriting definitions that never needed changing in the first place. This culture of hyperanalysis is disrupting perfectly normal relationships. Not everything is a red flag. Yes, real red flags exist, but there cannot be this many issues in every relationship. Tolerance has plummeted. Everything is monitored and policed, and people have stopped allowing room for natural imperfection.
Take a cue from our parents and grandparents. They weren’t measuring every syllable or counting the number of kisses in a text. They built relationships on presence, consistency, and empathy—not endless evaluation. Today, it sometimes feels like people have run out of original things to think about, so they nitpick harmless behaviour and turn it into evidence for imagined problems. If a relationship is genuinely unhappy or if effort is fading, that deserves an honest conversation. The issue is the way the internet turns generalised content into universal truth, pushing people into panic mode over crises that do not exist.
This constant dissection has created pressure where there should be ease and connection. The internet has normalised suspicion and emotional micromanagement, breaking down relationships that are otherwise healthy. Not every shortened message is emotional distance. Not every missing "I" is neglect. Some things simply are what they are. Love is not built through scrutiny—it is built through trust, softness, and understanding that people express care in different ways. It’s time to stop diagnosing based on boredom and start focusing on telling your boyfriend how much you love him.
Lead Image: IMDb
Also read: 5 signs you’re in a ‘comfort zone’ relationship and how to fix it
Also read: Is Cuffing Season Toxic?
