Are ‘Boundaries’ Ruining Love Island?

Love Island has been on for a few weeks now, and one thing has become gravely apparent.

No, not that Conor has pretty much chatted up every girl in that villa (although that is also true). No, not that Dejon and Meg absolutely will not last a week outside the series (that also, is probably true though).

It’s that ‘boundaries’ have become a big thing for these boys, and it’s been the worst thing that’s ever happened to Love Island.

Let’s start from the beginning: Love Island kicked off six weeks ago, and listen, it’s been a pretty good series.

There’s been drama, wife swapping, feistiness, and maybe one of the most lucrative Casa Amor recouplings to date. One might presume that this would make for good TV, and it does. To an extent. But is it not all so predictable?

The dating show has come a long way since its Paddy Kielty inception (Fran Cosgrave’s promo shot lives in my head rent free), but Love Island hasn’t embraced the warmth of diversity and sensitivity we’ve come to expect from other reality series.

And look, that’s fair enough. We need drama, we need fire, we need pretty people to look at. But do we still need a rake of boys treating women so poorly to warrant a torrent of Ofcom complaints?

Casa Amor is a prime example of this gendered split, and this season is no different. The boys go off, the girls stay in the villa. The boys crack on, the boys kiss, the boys flirt… before returning to the villa and declaring that their original partner was who they wanted all along.

And this season, the discovery of ‘boundaries’ has made everything so much worse.

Boundaries, as a concept, are great. In relationships, they’re a healthy way of confirming what you will and won’t accept from a person. They learn what you need and you learn what they’re willing to give.

In Love Island, however, boundaries are used as a mechanism for the boys to do whatever they want. Or, as Harry is so fond of saying, “having your cake and eating it too.”

Kiss a girl in Casa? It’s fine, we’re open. Flirt with a girl on the terrace? It’s okay, ‘My Meg’ didn’t say I couldn’t.

Boundaries have become a way for these boys to justify their awful behaviour. If their partner has an issue with something they’ve done, they call “open!” They can do what they like. The boundary hasn’t been set.

It’s only when a girl tells them they’re not happy with them doing something that they stop. When, you know, maybe it would be nice if they weren’t doing that thing in the first place.

The girls don’t have boundaries imposed on them. They don’t need them. If they’re happy in their couple they don’t want to get with anyone else, they don’t want to flirt.

They do it because they want to, not because they’re told.

Boots Ireland has recoupled with Love Island as the official Beauty Partner – and is encouraging you to find the ones by shopping the villa exclusively on Boots.ie.

Download the Boots app and sign up to Advantage Card to couple up with even more exclusive offers.