Many areas of our lives have been affected by technology and how we manage our relationships.
Alexis Truman, a freshman general education major from St. George, said technology makes a huge difference in relationship dynamics and how they play out.
A new hashtag is being used on Twitter this year called #WasteHisTime2016. Many posts with the hashtag may seem unnecessarily cruel. A tamer example is, “Tell him you’re not looking for anything serious. Then get in a relationship the next week with someone else. #WasteHisTime2016.”
According to an article written for Nylon Magazine, tweets tagged #WasteHisTime2016 are meant to be a satire on the way some men have treated women, whether they knew what they were doing or not. Except in these posts, it is the women pretending to take the man’s side. Men retaliated with the hashtag #WasteHerTime2016.
Jordan Curtis, a senior biology major from Perry, said: “[#WasteHisTime2016] sounds funny; I mean, it probably happens in real life sometimes. I think it’s probably fairly biased, but it might bring up points that need to be mentioned.”
Even though the #WasteHisTime2016 hashtag is meant to be a funny, many view it as a negative joke. Most people think they’re funny, even though it’s dark humor, but they don’t think about any deeper meaning.
“They’re just entertaining and funny to read,” Kaitlyn Barnhart, a sophomore mass communication major from St. George, said. “My roommate uses them as advice because she hates men.”
Dannelle Larsen-Rife, social and behavioral sciences associate professor, said this is horrifying behavior among people who are using this as an outlet to deal with personal issues. She said this is an unhealthy way of handling their relationships.
Larsen-Rife said this hashtag, if it was meant to raise the issue of how some men treat women, had good intentions but a poor execution.
“It’s appearing to be a form of entertainment or good time when really it’s signs of trauma and a difficult past.” Larsen-Rife said.
Where there are all these negative waste his or her time hashtags, there is another tag that has been added to the mix: “Help him become a better person and help him achieve his goals. #BeWorthHisTime2016.”
As recommended by Nylon Magazine, instead of focusing on the bad parts about relationships, focus on how you can do better and be a better person. Strive to be worth their time.
