Breaking up severs emotional ties, and it's best your technology follows suit. Do it in six steps.
Fumigate your technology like you would a roach-infested kitchen, here's how to wipe out every trace of your ex from technology. Think about it this way: seeing your ex in your phone or online only makes you think about what he/she is doing, realize you're no longer privy to that info (at least not right now, maybe friendship lies ahead), and—as any human would—suffer as a result. Why not make technology work for you and remove the catalysts for this negative reminder? We say, cleanse and be free.
Why your tech preference matters and what it says about you.
Compatibility was already complicated enough. She's an only-child; he's from a family of 12. He's a meticulous planner; she's fly-by-her-seat spontaneous. She's all urban; he's a rustic nature lover. But technology is fast adding an entirely new layer of compatibility for would-be couples. And it can suss out the potential for a relationship in a matter of dates, reports Monica Hesse for Washington Post Styles.
Men discuss if they would ever check their girlfriend's email or cell phone.
The other night, when I was having dinner with a guy friend who told me my engagement history might scare off some guys, we also discussed the issue of privacy in a relationship and how big of a deal it can be when that privacy is violated. He maintains that checking your partner's email, cell phone call log, and text messages is totally wrong, whereas I think it's wrong, but not pathological or evil. Frankly, I know many women who do the occasional cell phone check or email glance (and a few women who do oh-so-much more), but what about guys? Do they ever pilfer through their girlfriends' inboxes and Facebook accounts? I went to four taken guys on IM to find out.
Text, email, Facebook and Twitter make it harder to follow dating rules.
Remember when dating simply meant a guy asking out a girl? Maybe he would call her up, maybe he'd do it face to face. Either way, the options were limited, the results easy to decipher. Even with this simplicity guys and gals everywhere still managed to lose at the game of dating a fair amount.
Now with email, instant message, text, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and their brethren at our disposal, we have found plenty of new ways to communicate and even more ways to mess it up. Where there's a new technology, there's a potential relationship dissolving because of its (mis)use.
Newsweek suggests the answer is yes, we're not so sure.
Wishbringer and Stravinsky have met face-to-face only three times. They live on separate continents. Their real names are not Heart Wishbringer and Joe Stravinsky; but Rhonda Lillie and Paul Hawkins. And like 43,000 other couples, their initial meeting and marriage both occurred in the virtual online universe of Second Life. Newsweek is suggesting that their love might be more genuine than the kind that starts out face-to-face. We're not so sure.
People use the internet to find past lovers and stay in touch with their loved ones, says a study.
Seven percent of people in the United States have rekindled a romantic relationship with the help of the internet, according to a new study. But the United States doesn't stand out when it comes to rehabilitating hook-ups from the past. The world-wide average was 14%. The country with the most internet-inspired love renewals? India. A full 37% of Indians say the web has helped them renew a past love. These numbers come from the 2009 Norton Online Living Report, which came out on March 17.
A guide to good communication etiquette. How often to text, call and IM.
Communication is essential in every relationship; but when is the right time to express yourself and what is the best method? Dean Chandler gives men and women a quick tutorial on how and when to reach out via phone; text and instant messaging. Keep in mind that sometimes less is more.
When you want to say exactly what you mean; IM is the answer.
IM can be a great way to have serious conversations. Without the face-to-face pressure you're free to figure out exactly what you want to say, exactly which words will express your nuanced feelings. When you're angry and want to spit out the first mean phrase that you think of, IM provides a valuable break peddle; in the split second before pressing send you can decide if you really want to tell him that you've always hated the way he kissed.
Of course, IMing at work has it's own risks: you can get called away for a conference call in the middle of an important conversation, and you can't fully immerse yourself in whatever overwhelming emotion you're feeling. But maybe even that's good; retaining a sliver of objectivity during excruciating conversations can put things in perspective. (The other downside: lost work time.)
A dude in South Korea attempted to retroactively make a relationship Dutch.
A man in South Korea was not happy that he was broken up with. Not happy at all. He was so unhappy that he demanded his money back. When the girl didn't pay up, he took her to court and won. A later court reversed the decision. Proving that you can't go Dutch retroactively.
