Over time, there has been a social and emotional change when it comes to relationships and sex. Traditionally, relationships were seen as committed partners being together for their “living happily ever after” moment and saw sex as an act exclusively for married people. Seeing sex portrayed in movies, books, and in real life can mean different things to several people. There has been a shift in what sex can represent to people over the years, whether that means waiting until marriage, only having sex in a serious relationship, or having casual sex partners. There have been many coined terms for this phenomenon, such as hookup culture, casual sex, and friends with benefits.
What are friends with benefits (FWB)? Friends with benefits is the concept of having a sexual partner(s) without having any strings attached- meaning a lack of emotional commitment. In theory, this concept seems straightforward. However, this practice can cause existing relationships with people to be broken. FWB can mean different concepts to people, such as having only sex without the romantic aspect of a relationship, or it can be everything a romantic relationship offers but not being mutually exclusive.
One of the key issues with FWB relationships is the possibility of miscommunication and overstepping boundaries. Even with both parties entering this relationship with clear intentions, feelings can evolve, which can cause complications when a person starts developing deeper feelings. Ultimately, this can lead to unwanted tension and the break of a relationship. In a committed romantic relationship, expectations are usually defined with concrete boundaries, unlike in FWB, where there can be uncertainty about where someone stands in the relationship, especially when one person wants more than just physical intimacy.
Mentally and emotionally, FWB can cause many people to struggle with feelings of insecurity or inadequacy, especially if someone perceives their partner as not fully valuing them beyond the physically intimate aspects of the relationship. Over time, these feelings can cause emotional distress because one person is more emotionally invested than the other.
There’s the question of how these FWB relationships can impact future romantic encounters, such as how they can complicate or hinder the development of a serious relationship with someone else because they can create unresolved feelings or lingering emotional ties. While the idea of FWB seems appealing and simple in theory, there are several complicated factors when entering into one due to evolving feelings and expectations. For someone considering being in a FWB relationship, it is essential to have open communication, set clear boundaries, and reassess if the relationship still satisfies both parties.
What are your expectations and boundaries in a relationship? Let us know @HerCampusSJSU!