Is having a boyfriend now embarrassing?

Bold shift in women's choices and priorities

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

HAS having a boyfriend become a cringe? It's a question that's been lighting up social media ever since Chanté Joseph's thought-provoking piece in British Vogue dropped, sparking a cultural conversation about how women are redefining relationships, priorities, and the societal expectations placed on them.

Building on this, Joseph's article explores a significant shift: women posting their partners less and sometimes, not at all, on social media.

Gone are the days of Instagram bios featuring boyfriend initials or carousel posts of candlelit date nights. Now, if a man makes it to your Instagram story, he's lucky to be a blurry elbow in a photo that expires in 24 hours.

But why the change? Is this a feminist flex, a protective measure, or simply a sign of the times? Let's unpack the cultural wave that's got everyone talking, and why it just might be time to embrace the idea that a romantic relationship is not the ultimate achievement.

From #couplegoals to #singleandthriving

Once upon a time, having a boyfriend was a shiny status symbol. A relationship meant you were desirable, lovable and worthy. Women would eagerly showcase their partners online, as if to say, "Look, I've made it!"

However, the narrative is shifting. Joseph writes, "It feels like the result of women wanting to straddle two worlds: one where they can receive the social benefits of having a partner, but also not appear so boyfriend-obsessed that they come across as culturally loser-ish."