MATCH POINT: Is There Really a 'Happy Couple' Checklist?

Social media is bursting with templates for 'good' relationships. But it may not be the gold standard the internet asks us to go by.

- By Saumyaa Vohra

Five Signs You've Found Your Soulmate’ declares a black and white square on my Instagram Explore page.

Right under it is a pink and white one that warns about the ‘7 Things He Does If He’s Cheating’. Posts like these are in my curation because I read about sex and relationships constantly for work, and the range of advice on the platform definitely runs the gamut.

To look to social media for advice is not uncommon. A 2025 study by health policy organisation Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) finds that over half of adults use social media for health advice (58 per cent for mental health). Online mental health platform ReachOut Australia sampled 2,078 young people (aged 16-25 years), finding that 73 per cent turn to TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram for support. It’s a comfortable thing to reach for; why shouldn't a platform that provides entertainment and validation also provide guidance? But, unlike professional sources, there is no quality assessment for social media guidance. The good, the bad, and the ignorant all colour your grid, indistinguishable from one another. All proffering their brand of fast advice for issues of every shape and size.