The Taylor-Daniel Instagram Scandal on ‘Love Is Blind’ Season 8 Is Worse Than You Think liennhi

This article features heavy spoilers for the second drop of episodes from Love Is Blind Season 8.

The big cliffhanger at the end of the first six-episode drop of Love Is Blind Season 8 was the shocking allegations Taylor Haag made about her new fiancé, Daniel Hastings, in regard to whether he had previously followed her on Instagram and knew everything about her while in the pods. After waiting a week, we finally received our resolution!

Taylor addressed the concerns with Daniel as to why her fear gave pause to the validity of their relationship. If he had been playing her, how could they be wed? The entire situation made Taylor question Daniel’s integrity. So, production stepped in to allow Taylor the opportunity to check the app for Daniel’s follow, as well as use an app to see if he had unfollowed her. Her allegations proved unfounded, and thus, it was her paranoia that caused her to spiral. At the end of the day, if this is at the start of a relationship, there’s truly no hope in marriage. Even if it wasn’t true. How can you commit to someone who already doesn't trust you? Is it all worth it?

To Follow or Not To Follow?

Relationships are difficult. Especially when two individuals' dating experience is on hyperdrive. For Daniel and Taylor, their time in the pods proved that they truly were the right person for one another. Almost scarily so. Their connection over family, Christmas, and more showcased how two similar individuals were a match made in Netflix heaven. The infamous Christmas shoot that caused the tension is proof of how hard they go for the holiday. But Taylor was worried that perhaps it was too good to be true. So, she came up with a story in her head that Daniel had previously followed her on Instagram. She didn't understand how he could know all the information contained in her profile biography. So, in her mind, the solution to her paranoia was that Daniel must have been one of her followers.

Taylor's allowance of her paranoia being controlled by social media prior to even having their phones back should be a red flag for everyone involved. Even us as viewers. We only get a glimpse into the hours and hours of their dating in the pods. Perhaps she didn't realize some of the conversations and anecdotes connected so intimately with Daniel that it resonated in a manner that made her feel like he'd known her forever. She let her mind go wild and needed to talk to Daniel to nip it in the bud. It was a complete blindside of a conversation, but Daniel deserves some credit. He sat across from Taylor in the hotel lobby and allowed her to have her moment. Green flag!

Daniel doubled down that he didn't follow her, and, if he had, he would have altered production. He understood why she was shaken. He was equally shaken. In this day and age of social media, it's always possible a rogue follow could have happened. He couldn't completely deny that, but he was certain that his honesty in the pods was through their genuine connection. To be fair, he did tell her that he would have remembered her face. Way to win her back, bro! Daniel looked like he might be guilty as Taylor spiraled, but after seeing their time in Honduras and in the Twin Cities, his reaction stemmed from the fear of losing her. In the end, there was no follow. They decided to continue with their journey, and, spoiler alert, if TMZ is correct, they will have a happily ever after.

Social Media Can Ruin Relationships

It's nice to see the pair find resolution and peace about the Instagram scandal. But it's opened up bigger issues about how social media can cause animosity in today's society. It wasn't necessarily about whether or not Daniel had previously followed her. It was about the truth. We do live in a time when you can learn anything and everything about a person simply by scrolling through their profiles. It's not a natural way to get to know about a person. Which defeats the purpose of this experiment.

Was this the major event that saved their relationship from future issues? Throughout their time in Honduras, they took steps to build their bond. They even went as far as to say it made them stronger. They experienced the hardest part at the start. But this scandal has bigger implications. Should production ensure prior to final casting that the entirety of their pod squad has no links to one another on social media? In this day and age, it’s an easy task for an intern to check on it! Internet sleuths check reality stars' social media followers on a daily basis. In fact, the two aren’t currently following one another. What does that even mean?! In the end, this shocking moment was way worse than it needed to be. But this a reflection of our reality.