Facebook & Dating: Do They Mix?

I’m all about using social media to meet new people, including Facebook. I met several guys this way when I was dating (including my husband – long story). So, I’m totally down with searching through friends of friends to see if there might be any “potential.” But sometimes Facebook can screw with your dating life in ways you might not realize.

If you blog you know what I’m going to say – that likely you’ve confessed a thing or two online (like me) that you regret later. And it’s the same thing with social media. We put ourselves out there hoping to connect, but sometimes it bites us in the ass instead.

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So what’s the best course of action when you meet someone new? Do you friend right away, or do you wait and get to know him?

I think it depends on how much of your life you share online, (and how adept you are with using Facebook’s privacy settings).

More from YourTango: "They Hate Me!": Dating Someone with Kids

Let’s take an example. You’ve met this really hot guy at a party, and you want to go out with him. Instead of exchanging numbers, you friend each other on Facebook. It seems more harmless than giving out your number, right? Well, before you even meet for coffee, he’s gotten access to those drunken pictures you took last week when you were out with your girlfriends. In fact, he’s already contacted one of those girlfriends to ask her out. You’re angry and jealous, since you met him first. You wonder what this guy is trying to do, and whether or not to de-friend him.

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