One problem is that a lot of simplifications get layered on in pop science explanations of relativity, or actually deep science of any kind. We often talk about the force of gravity, but the thing is it's actually not a force, or even a field, in the same way as other forces and fields in physics.
This is why Einstein is so revered in Physics. He didn't just explain a force, otherwise why would he be given pre-eminence over Maxwell who explained electromagnetism? Relativity is something else completely.
Here's a really good explanation of what's actually going on when gravity influences an object. Hold on to your chair.
> it's actually not a force, or even a field, in the same way as other forces and fields in physics
That's why (for anyone who's still reading this old thread) gravity is treated separately from the other three "fundamental" forces. We can explain pretty much everything in physics with the tools of Quantum Field Theory, even if there's still some gaps, but relativity is a whole other ballgame. Not only is it totally resistant to the mathematical techniques (quantum operations are linear, relativity is very much not, to name just one issue), but it's sort of unclear what QFT looks like without spacetime as a stage to act on. If the properties of spacetime emerge from some simpler, presumably more quantum, system, we have next to no idea how.
This is why Einstein is so revered in Physics. He didn't just explain a force, otherwise why would he be given pre-eminence over Maxwell who explained electromagnetism? Relativity is something else completely.
Here's a really good explanation of what's actually going on when gravity influences an object. Hold on to your chair.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKxQTvqcpSg&t=19s