“You and me.” There was still a heart and that’s all that even the poor listener needs: Phaedra Hoste just went public with her love from Knokke. What intimates have known for years, everyone now knows. “A need that is as old as humans”, says etiquette specialist Kevin Strubbe. “Love calls for milestones, for officialization. Once upon a time, permission had to be asked from the family first, after which objects were introduced: only with a ring or gift was it ‘serious’. Now Instagram in particular has taken over that role.” Many couples are left with the question: when? “You can see that it is well thought out. The photo usually has a certain atmosphere, it is not just an image at breakfast. There is an idyllic caption or an emoji. There is always a stream of congratulations: there is little that can be so scored on social media as with a new relationship.”
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