In 2021, 18% of total adult fiction sales belong to the romance novel section, making that genre the second highest-grossing fiction in the literary world.
Romance is historically heralded as the most important type of love out of the three: familial, platonic and romantic.
Our culture engrains romance as the dominant form of love, from watching “Cinderella” and “Sleeping Beauty” as a child to reading about Romeo and Juliet in an English class. We love reading about romance, rooting for a couple, and watching them fall in love.
The trials and tribulations of getting to that stage are entertaining and heartwarming. Hell, the messier the relationship is, the more popular it becomes.
Romantic love is marketable and everywhere, from Valentine’s Day to wedding destinations.
However, there needs to be more quality stories about family and friendships. Of course, there are notable stories like the “Berenstain Bears,” “My Little Pony Friendship is Magic,” and “The Incredibles.” But, there must be more literary content for friendships and family than romance.
There is also a significant need for famous books centered around friendship and family ties. We’d instead read about dark romance novels that romanticize themes of abuse and then read about a heartwarming story of an enduring friendship or a loyal family.
We all may think that the lack of media representation of the other two types of love isn’t a big deal, but it becomes a problem when those ideals leak into genuine life relationships. Our lives are thrown off balance when our world revolves around one romantic relationship.
When you start prioritizing romantic relationships over familial and spiritual ties, you isolate yourself from what the world can offer. You make yourself intrinsically bound to your romantic partner.
We are social creatures and deprive ourselves of all forms of human connection, but one is psychologically damaging for many reasons. It gives our romantic partner more control in the relationship, creates a codependent relationship, and causes us to lose the people closest to us.
Friendships and family ties can provide just as much fulfillment and happiness. We can feel loved in more ways than one. We tend to forget that we don’t need a boyfriend or girlfriend to live a happy life.
You can live a joyous life without a romantic partner. You can form deep friendships. You can love your friends and they’ll love you. It’s okay to be single and I think it’s something we need to hear.