Here it is 2013! Some of us thought there wouldn’t even be a 2013; others of us can remember back to the movie 2001 where the ideas in that film seemed so far fetched. Paraphrasing an old ad, “We’ve come a long way, baby!” The world certainly is a different place.
It’s after dinner and I’m online sipping my glass of wine. The day is winding down, but I’m just getting starting; socializing with my virtual friends. Just for fun, I do a search for an old boyfriend on Facebook, and OMG, there he is. I send a friend request and receive his reply immediately. OK, that was way too fast. Was he looking for me, too? And before I know it, we are connected – again.
![Why You Shouldn't Update Your Relationship Status [EXPERT]](http://images.tangomag.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-full/image_blog/fb_relationship.jpg "Why You Shouldn't Update Your Relationship Status [EXPERT]")
It has come to my attention that my generation believes if a relationship is not "Facebook official," then the relationship is not real. This means that if the "in a relationship" box is not checked off on a profile, then the relationship is nonexistent. When did Facebook take over our lives?
If it feels like social networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter, are ruining your relationship, you're not alone. New technology brings greater ease in communication and connecting. There are no borders and few boundaries. A person on one side of the world can have a very intimate and private interaction with someone on the other side of the world via the web. Flirting, jealousy, infidelity, arguments and breakups can all revolve around social networking.
A couple months ago I had a birthday and I was overwhelmed by hundreds of greetings on Facebook. It was cool and fun and a bit mind-boggling. I liked it. At the time I wondered about the out-pouring of messages and chalked it up to lots of people that truly enjoy bringing joy into each other’s lives. Nice, right? Today I lost my father and I decided to post the following picture and comment on Facebook. “My Mom left us a few years ago. My Dad followed her today.
*** Join Jason and Kelly when they TAKEOVER YourTango's Facebook page this Thursday, July 28th at 2pm eastern. Jason and Kelly will be live and answering your questions about Facebooking as a couple, parents, grandparents and covering all of the sticky situations we get into on social network sites. Join us at 2pm on Thursday, July 28th for this live event.***