Shipping

Ok, so there's been a new cultural phenomenon lately, and its shipping. Shipping, from the wikipedia definition, is

"the desire for two people, often fictional, to be in a relationship, romantic or otherwise"

Personally, I believe that this phenomenon is basically an evolution of regular gossip. We already know that regular gossip is pretty bad since it causes false rumors and such to spread easily. However, with shipping, there comes even worse consequences.

The major one is that it tends to push people apart. When shipping people together, the couple often has to be:
1. Good friends or
2. "Right for each other." - Like similar qualities

If two good friends are shipped together, it totally ruins the relationship since their "love" becomes the only thing that is talked about by others. Their "shipping" will be constantly on the minds of both parties when communicating. This creates awkward conversations and creates a barrier between both parties, esp. if one party is too shy to admit his/her feelings (and in this case we mean feelings about the ship) to the other. Quite often, a potential friendship will be completely ruined because one party will start avoiding the other or vice versa or both.

So, in the end, I only really support ships that don't relay between people I know. I don't really like gossip in general, since it makes me feel a bit sick to talk behind people's backs. I don't mind ships between fictional characters or celebrities, since most of the time, the two don't know, or if they do, they're using it to gain more fame. However, putting pressure for a certain relationship to happen, it is often too much for both parties involved. It strains their probably already amiable relationship.

So, in the end, think of the people you're sending on that ship, maybe by sending them to sea, you're sending them to their doom. Please be careful with your words. Sometimes you can't repair the heart.