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Cyber Split

Don't Break Up Online

By Lea Friese-Haben

With a few taps on the keyboard and a click of his mouse, he tweets that it's over. You stare at your screen silently, perhaps a little tearful. He's out of your life in the blink of an eye. All those months of being together are suddenly brought to an end--with only a few words that he couldn't tell you in person. You begin to think if it weren't for the Internet, perhaps he would have told you face to face, and then you wouldn't feel so hurt or outraged that all your social networking friends and colleagues know.

Technology is dramatically changing our personal relationships and has left many people with poor social skills. It started with text messaging and is now completely viral. People have started using social media as a way to break up.

Now, Facebook and Twitter have opened up a new venue to not only end relationships, but also humiliate the other party. Breakups are difficult under the best of circumstances, but airing this dirty laundry virally is especially rude and hurtful.

Here are a few tactful tips for breaking up:

1. End the relationship face to face. Be kind but swift.
2. Don't falter or give false hope to other party.
3. Don't flaunt new relationships publicly or virally.
4. Keep the circumstances of the breakup off of the Internet.

Remember, although technology has its perks, it also has its shortcomings; don't allow yourself to become a cyber-bully. Social media can be fun and enlightening if used in a respectful manner--never for break-ups or spreading rumors.

Lea Friese-Haben is the owner of Lasting Impression Consulting LLC.