By Ashley DelBello
It’s not official until it’s on Facebook. We’ve all heard this before. And as Facebook recently hit its one-billionth user, it’s becoming truer in almost every aspect of life, including relationships. With some, Facebook has even replaced having the “the talk” with “can we update our relationship status on Facebook yet?” A little extreme, but as Facebook is the one of the most prominent social networking sites relationship statuses are now an important milestone in dating.
So when do you update your Facebook relationship status? Too soon and you may have to publically face going from “in a relationship” back to “single” before your next date (which has now been cancelled). If you wait too long, your significant other can become irritated and it could start to cause problems as it may be more important to them than you realize.
Follow these simple rules when considering updating your relationship status:
Related Link: 5 Ways Social Media Can Help Your Relationship
New Relationships. Have you already had “the talk?” Deciding that you’re exclusive should definitely take place prior to updating your relationship status and should also be a safe indicator that it’s ok to announce that you guys are dating. While we all want to shout from the top of our lungs when we are in a new relationship, it’s usually best to wait and make sure it’s going to work out. No one wants all the annoying questions you’ll receive from people you haven’t heard from in years when you have to change your status back to “single.”
The Break-Up. There’s no need to rush to update your status as soon as you leave your ex’s house, but you will want to change it before it too much time passes and you’re left looking a little pathetic. However, your Facebook profile is highly visible to almost everyone and it’s not something you want to change lightly. Give it a few weeks and when you’re absolutely sure that it’s over, go ahead and make the change. If the relationship ended amicably and you were together for a long period of time, it couldn’t hurt to give your ex a heads up that you are going to change it.
Related Link: Q&A: How Can Social Media Help My Long Distance Relationship?
Making Your Status Private. Of course, you could avoid all of this by simply clicking “only me” for your relationship status. Not as fun and there will most likely be a time you’ll have to make it less private, but if you’re currently in a situation that allows you to keep it to yourself, then it’s definitely something to ponder.
Any Public Relationship Status Update. Think it through and consider all the possibilities of making a change — you certainly don’t want to be the one constantly making updates to your relationship status or be on the receiving end of unsolicited advice so make sure it’s worth it.
Tell us: When do you update your Facebook relationship status?
