Breaking up is complicated in a digital age
Splitting up with a boyfriend or girlfriend wasn’t always this complicated. But the digital age has bound people together in ever more complex ways, making it tough for lovers old and new to completely disconnect. Among the rituals: bowing out of email lists, updating online profiles, and clearing cell phone memories of phone numbers and old text messages.
Az Central has a great article that sheds a little light on many of the aspects of breaking up in this digital age that many of us may not think of.
In the example of one woman, she and her former boyfriend split up. Long after the breakup, the woman began receiving emails from her ex. She’d managed to remain in his email address book and was suddenly included in several months worth of announcements and pictures from her ex on his proposal to the new love, the engagement photos and even the wedding photos. Eventually the emails stopped - but the awkwardness had set in.
Next, another couple who had been divorced happened to join the same dating site. Shortly after posting a profile, the woman received an email from the service listing her possible matches, the top being her ex husband.
Take a peek at Breaking up is complicated in a digital age and tell us how the digital age has influenced your love life?
Ever received or made those really awkward brown bottle phone calls that you regret the next morning?
Perhaps you’ve discovered your significant other on a dating site posing as a single and available catch?
Or how about sharing how the digital age has positively influenced your life - after all, every coin does have two sides.
Tags: breaking_up, getting_dumped
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POSTED IN: Breaking Up, In the News
10 opinions for Breaking up is complicated in a digital age
Angela
Mar 29, 2006 at 3:14 pm
I dated through personal ads, then dating sites once those got created, all my dating life. There have been bad dates, bad instances, and bad people, but that happens with dating in general. I found my current love of my life on match.com and would have done it all over again. It is going on two years that we’ve been together.
As for digital tech making breaking up hard to do…you delete delete delete…for email I even blocked. Only thing I forgot to block was IM screenames and learned that lesson after an ex contacted me months after breaking up to be the same a**hole he always was….then I blocked him from that too and said good riddence.
:D I’m happier for it all.
Sasha
Mar 31, 2006 at 7:53 am
Good to know how well it worked out for you, Angela. :) I reckon it will all depend on the individual in the end, regardless of how he or she met the other person.
Thanks for the tip, too. Hahaha. :D
Gayla McCord
Apr 1, 2006 at 6:43 am
LOL You’re funny Angela :)
It is tough with all the technology we have to go through and do all the deleting, removing, blocking etc.
Almost isn’t worth adding sometimes :)
Angela
Apr 3, 2006 at 6:39 am
True, the b/f is bad about deleting people he doesn’t talk to anymore, still has tons of them in his cellphone list.
Rico
Aug 15, 2006 at 7:55 am
Sorry Sash, no positivism from me. I think are also more ways to get hurt. About three weeks ago, my ex wanted to change our relationship in Multiply from “girlfriend” to “friend.” ouch. :(
Sasha Manuel
Aug 15, 2006 at 12:53 pm
Rico, I had to laugh a bit about that not because I’m laughing at you, ok? It’s just that it reminded me of that time when a guy removed me from his friends list in a similar social networking site. It was his way of ‘breaking up’ with me. Classy, eh?
With what happened to you, think of it this way, at least, you’re still ‘friends’ right? :)
Rico
Aug 15, 2006 at 1:00 pm
Very stupendously classy of him. I think as “face-to-face” becomes less important because of better communications, a lot more cowards will crawl out of the woodwork. :-p meh…
Sasha Manuel
Aug 15, 2006 at 1:40 pm
Ya’thinkso. It makes it easier to flirt in jest [text can mean so many things], screen and ignore when you get tired of the other person. And it’s so easy to mingle with people who are *above your station* Hahaha. ;)
Imagine the possibilities. :)
Rico
Aug 15, 2006 at 11:45 pm
“Above your station” ka dyan! :P Well, I suppose it does open up a lot of oppurtunities, and the superficiality that unfortunately accompanies first time introductions may be minimized, don’t you think? :)
Sasha Manuel
Aug 16, 2006 at 8:16 pm
Rico: Hahaha. As long as you’re not as cynical as I am about the whole bit then it sure can be a great medium. ;)
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