Face-to-Book Relationships

Kelly Smith is no longer in a relationship. Cue the violins and little red heart, cracked down the middle.

Facebook users unite to celebrate their blossoming relationships and the hardship of break-ups over a simple change of status. Forget the days of wooing the individual you are interested in and planning the perfect way to ask him or her to be your significant other. Now you have the option to request being “in a relationship” on Facebook.

Changes in relationships are “official” to a college crowd if they are publicly announced on Facebook, according to CNNU. If your profile says you are in a relationship, then it is the cold, hard truth. Same goes for those posted as “single”—even though the person is dating, they are still considered up-for-grabs. But how can anyone take these statuses seriously, if individuals list themselves as “married” to a sorority sister or “it’s complicated” with a best friend?

What’s worse than using Facebook to announce a courtship on the internet is using it to end one. Imagine receiving an alert on your cell, proclaiming your boyfriend broke up with you…minutes before he actually calls to tell you. Gone are the days when scaredy cats used the phone to avoid a face-to-face confrontation. Facebook break-up notification has hit an all-time low blow.

What’s next—the Facebook proposal? Hey, “engaged” is one of the options… [CNN]