Reams have been written, both for and against, social networking sites like Orkut and Facebook.
An increasing number of people are breaking-up on social networking websites, giving rise to a whole set of problems
Reams have been written, both for and against, social networking sites like Orkut and Facebook. So let's add another chapter the book. Social networking sites have been used for everything from airing dirty laundry, to showing-off a sparklingly entertaining life, and now they've been used to announce the break-up of a relationship, with much emoticon-induce vigour, one might add.
These days, if there's been a change in your love life, it's de rigueur to let every stranger on the websphere to know exactly how, and why, it took place. But what happens when someone breaks up with you…on Facebook, and the world knows it before you do?
"It's nice in the beginning to flaunt your relationship status, when the whole world knows it's good. But when it doesn't work out, you face the brunt of all the attention," says Ankita Kapoor, a victim of relationship tragedy on Facebook.
And if it's not bad enough that everyone knows of your situation, social networking sites also allows people to comment on it. Supriya Joshi, however, believes that friends who know you well will refrain from commenting: "I got a comment from a friend when she saw my status being changed from single to being in a relationship. Well when my relationship ended, I received no comments. I have a good set of friends. The last thing one needs after a break up is answering the whole world."
For Ankita, things were a bit more difficult: "When I broke up, my ex-boyfriend changed his status before I did. So all it said on my profile was that I was in a relationship, the name disappeared. And when you have to pull it down yourself, that's when it chokes you."
Of course, there are those who change their relationship status, for the sake of it. "I know so many girls who change their relationship status, even when they are single, just to avoid random friend requests," says Vineet Bahri.
People often change their status on Facebook to grab attention, or as Supriya says, "to raise their self esteem many indulge in altering their status".
So if one decides to change their relationship status on any of the social networking sites, then they must be ready to face the consequences and comments of going from being Ms Committed to Ms Single.
h_namita@dnaindia.net
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