Social media has its own personality… at least I like to think so.
Think about it: Networks such as Facebook and Twitter can sweet and helpful while they allow us to take part in professional networking, reconnecting with friends and family, receiving the latest breaking news, and sharing life experiences. But they can get a little sassy when it comes to relationships.
Here are a few things to watch out for on social media that can make or break a relationship:
FBO: The two of you need to have a discussion before either of you change your relationship status before you try and make if FBO – otherwise known as “Facebook Official.” Are you exclusive? Are you just friends with benefits? If you act too quickly and try to force one another to put a label on the relationship, things can get a little awkward.
Privacy (or lack thereof): Although keeping track of your privacy settings is applicable to all social media networks, I think it applies to Facebook because it’s basically a virtual library of everyone you’ve ever known. From a simple “like” to a longer comment or message, these connections always have the potential to spark jealousy in a relationship regardless of how long you’ve been a couple.
Breaking up: Breaking up is already hard enough, but imagine having to deal with the aftermath on social media. My advice is to keep any conflicts in your relationship off of the Internet entirely.It will keep any disagreements you have from blowing out of proportion, and it will enable your friends and/or followers to mind their own business.
Alter egos: It isn’t impossible. If you find yourself in a “Catfish” type of situation where you haven’t even met the person you’re interested in, you might want to do some research. Skype is also a good way to check out your potential beau. Take pride in earning your “creeper” status, and try to make sure he or she is the real deal. Here’s to making sure you don’t end up falling for a fictional person who ends up being a 65-year-old sex offender.
Being Creepy: While we’re on the topic of creeping, don’t think it’s OK to look through your significant other’s Facebook or Twitter account if he or she accidently leave it logged on. Learn to trust him or her, so he or she can trust you. On the other hand, if you find your significant other is the one who starts snooping around your social media accounts then it is definitely time to have a conversation about whether you trust one another enough to be in a relationship.
Overall, that’s what relationships all come down to: trust. Without it, your relationship will suffer whether social media is to blame or not.
