Why Do Some Couples Choose To Keep Their Relationships Private On Social Media?

While some couples celebrate milestones with sweet social media posts, others prefer to keep things private, sharing those cherished moments away from prying eyes.

For YES 933 DJ Hazelle Teo, 31, and her pianist fiancé James Wong, 26, they kept their relationship private for about a year before they made it public — very public. The pair now share about their lives together, often featuring each other on social media posts, collaborating on a joint Instagram page, and even starting a podcast ahead of their wedding.

Why did they wait a year before going public? “We allowed ourselves some time to build a stronger foundation before we were honest with the world,” said Hazelle, in her discussion with James about the subject in the latest episode of The Couple’s Classroom,  

James agreed: “It was a very deliberate choice, we both discussed and agreed to do it after the engagement.”

He continued: “The reason is because I feel like [by putting] our relationship out into the world, it’s as if I’m putting a boat out into a crashing wave. Whatever we post, we’re going to face rough waves, sometimes it’ll be a sunny day at sea, but other times, it’s going to be rocky.”

He believed there were things they still needed to discuss privately during the early stages of their relationship, and going public too soon could cloud their judgment and leave them influenced by others’ opinions. 

“I didn’t want that. I wanted us to be able to come together as a unit to get our foundation right before putting it out there for people to judge and have public opinions about matters,” said James.

Hazelle and James were on the same page as to when they should go public about their relationship. For Hazelle, she had to learn the lesson “the hard way”.

In one of her previous relationships, her extroverted personality led her to be very public about it. They eventually broke up, and although they remained on speaking terms, she still felt awkward when listeners or followers asked about her ex. 

Confessing that she wasn’t upset but didn’t know how to respond to those questions, Hazelle added: “I did not like the feeling of having to answer to other people about my own decisions.”

“I told myself that I would only go public about it after we get engaged, because that also carries more weight,” she said.

She also noticed that public sentiment shifted once others realised she was serious about her partner, acknowledging that he was the person she wanted to build her life with.

The couple then recounted a funny memory of being sold out before they were ready to go public — and that person was none other than Hong Kong singer G.E.M.

They had attended G.E.M.’s concert in early 2025 and were seated close to the stage. Towards the end of the show, there was a kiss cam segment.

James, seated next to Hazelle, asked what she would do if the camera panned to them. Hazelle thought there was no way they’d be chosen, given the 50,000-strong audience.

As fate would have it, the camera landed on them.

“Two of us! On the kiss cam, on the big screen!” exclaimed Hazelle.

Shocked, the couple could only manage finger hearts at the camera.

“We were so awkward, we were plastered there on our seats. And Chen Ning, who was seated beside me, was laughing so loudly and was even slapping her thigh [in amusement],” said Hazelle.

After the kiss cam fiasco, Hazelle received countless WhatsApp messages, including one from “the boss of the boss of her boss". 

“She was like ‘haha, dating ah?’. And I was like, ‘Hey, you’re here too?’” laughed Hazelle.

“We weren’t ready to go public, but clearly, G.E.M had other plans for us,” James joked. 

Guess G.E.M. uncovered a hidden gem that night at the gig.

Photos: Mediacorp, Andrea Piacquadio, Magnus Mueller/ Pexels

You can catch the full episode of Couple’s Classroom on YouTube, or watch it below.