How Social Media Makes Breakups Even Worse
Let’s be real, breakups are the worst. It doesn’t matter if you’re the dumper or the dumpee, severing a relationship just sucks. And on top of the initial blow, there is nothing anyone can say that will make you feel better about the situation.
Social media makes breakups even more harmful. Why? Because Facebook/Instagram/Twitter/etc. not only bring out the worst in people, they also shine a spotlight on your life. That's the last thing you want when you're still sensitive from a breakup.
So, let’s delve into how exactly social media creates even more heartache during breakups and how to rid yourself of that extra stress.
The Relationship Status
We all love that our friends clap and cheer when we change our Facebook status to "in a relationship". However, when our relationship status becomes single again, we dread the incoming comments from followers.
So, what’s the solution? It’s easy. All you need to do when changing your relationship status is to make it private. That way, it won’t show up on your friends' feeds. The only way someone will know if you’re in a relationship or not, other than asking you directly, is to visit your profile page, where you can also make your status private.
Friends Chiming In
Even if you choose to keep your newly single status private, friends may decide to chime in on social media about your relationship. This can be extremely stressful for someone who has just ended a relationship. Friends might comment “you're better off without him!” on your pics or try to publicly gas you up. You know your friends have the best of intentions; however, it still draws attention to the heartbreak at hand.
To avoid this, simply let your friends know that you don’t want to highlight your breakup on social media. Hopefully, most will respect this decision.
Unfollowing Friends and Family
Breaking up often means breaking up with more than just your significant other. Many times, you must also break up with their friends and family. This can be hard if you've been dating a while and have gotten close with your ex's support network.
Unfollowing or unfriending people in your partner’s circle can give you peace of mind during this tough time. If you unfollow them, you can easily re-follow them in a few months once the bruises have healed. Unfriending may be necessary if you are exiting a toxic relationship, so just be sure to evaluate the situation at hand before clicking the "unfriend" or "unfollow" button.
The New Partner
It may not happen right away, but eventually your ex is going to move on. It can hurt when that happens. Of course, you could easily block your ex and pretend they don't exist. But, if you’re worried about looking petty or immature, then consider unfollowing or muting your ex so you aren’t seeing updates of their new relationship on your feed.
Do yourself a favor and refrain from checking in on your ex’s page or stalking their new partner via social media. This will only prolong your heartache while making you feel insecure and inadequate. Breakups aren’t easy for anyone and there is no reason why you need to make it harder on yourself. You deserve to move on too!