Facebook, the Relationship Killer?
I remember when MySpace was at its height of popularity it was referred to as a "relationship killer." I laughed when I heard that, but it's true. Social Networking sites are to blame for many arguments between couples, friends, and family.
In the old days you had to hire a P.I. to find out if your partner was cheating. These days, all you have to do is check your man/woman's wall posts. Granted the more experienced cheater will take advantage of Facebook privacy settings, but catching your partner in the act is still way easier than before.
With sites like Facebook, you have easy access to people all over the world. You can form personal relationships with people you would have never met otherwise. Access to so many people can become an issue if you are in a committed relationship, and become an overpowering temptation. Many couples have broken up over messages found between their partner and another person. Emotional vs. physical cheating is becoming a hot topic for many young couples.
Dating has also changed thanks to Facebook. More and more people meet and form relationships online, but that's obvious. Facebook has changed the dating game in another way. In the old days, you could date multiple people until you decided to commit to one person. Say you meet a guy, and you form a connection, but it's only been a few dates. Are you supposed to stop dating/talking to anyone else? He's probably not cutting ties yet, so you decide to keep your options open. When the guy you like asks you to be his girl friend, you wholeheartedly decide to cut ties with everyone else, and he was none the wiser.
This is a common practice for both men and women, especially for those who are cautious when it comes to putting all their eggs in one basket. But with Facebook, keeping your love life private isn't as easy as it once was. If you are dating/talking to multiple people chances are they will want to "friend" you on Facebook, giving them access to your photos, wall, status updates and more. So if you really like one girl, but the girl you were talking to last month tags you in photos from a recent trip, the new girl is likely to get upset and categorize you as a player. Instead of starting what could have been a great relationship with someone you really liked, you're back to hitting up the girls on your contact list.
Facebook has also made the world an even smaller place. I have often been shocked at the connections between people I know. I can meet someone in another state, and they end up being the best friend of the cousin of a guy I dated a year ago. Your girl friend, and girl you decided to cheat with, can end up having mutual friends. You just never know! You could say that Facebook keeps people honest, but the reality is that it just helps air out dirty laundry. You would think people would avoid Facebook all together once in a relationship, but many just fall into the trap.
You can keep Facebook from ruining your love life by utilizing privacy settings and keeping your friendship pool small. Visit your privacy page and control who can see photos, who can tag you in photos, who can post comments, and so on. Or better yet, just don't be a scum bag.
This content was created by AI
