Filed under: Internet, Social Software

As cliché as it sounds, breaking up really is hard to do. Well, maybe it’s not theoretically difficult, but telling someone you’ve cared about in any capacity that it’s over and it’s time to move on isn’t fun. Actually, being told is probably even less fun, especially if there’s the element of surprise involved.

Technology complicates things. Aside from the potential for devastation that comes from a significant other texting you a “Let’s just be friends” message, or finding a picture of your sweetie on the web in a compromising position, there’s the whole social networking issue.

ABC News takes a hard-hitting look at Facebook relationship statuses. A girlfriend is devastated when her ex- changes his status to “Single.” Was she more devastated over the break up, or the fact that several Facebook contacts gave her a ring? ABC doesn’t say for sure, but their use of the phrase “barraged with phone calls” and the statement that it was an “uncomfortable experience” for the former couple leads us to believe that, er, maybe some calls were made for less altruistic reasons than the offer of a shoulder to cry on.

The love physicians here at DLS Most of us here at Download Squad would say there are a few issues to take into account when you decide to make your relationship public on a site like Facebook. Why are you using the social networking site? Is it work or career related? Are you keeping in touch with friends? It’s ultimately up to you, and how comfortable you feel about the fact that some friends on social networks might not actually be friends (unless you really do know Tom at MySpace personally).

The sad fact is that on the ‘net as well as in real life, there are people who will gossip and ask for way too many details over a break up that they aren’t directly involved in. The interwebs makes it easier for them to poke and prod for the juicy bits, sure, but that’s less technology related and more human nature related.

And guys/girls… Seriously, don’t ever break up with anyone via text. You’ll never have a relationship in this town again with that sort of behavior.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 at 7:00 pm and is filed under Social Informant. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.