Social media dating rules are here to help your relationship survive, to help you both be comfortable, and to avoid the many pitfalls that can send ripples of discord in your relationship.
Social media is such a part of our lives that we do have to pay attention to how we use it affects our partners. Social media dating rules are just dating etiquette for the digital age.
Here are the dating rules to remember.
1. UNFOLLOW EXES!
For the well-being of your new relationship, it’s always a good idea to unfollow all of the accounts that relate to your most recent ex, or perhaps even all of them if that is what is going to make your new partner comfortable. Scrolling through old pictures of you together and new ones where you are apart can lead to toxic dynamics!
2. DISCUSS CHANGING YOUR RELATIONSHIP STATUS FIRST
There is nothing more embarrassing than changing your status to ‘in a relationship’ and then seeing the other person resist. Before you take the fall and start online gossip, have a talk about whether you are both ready to take that social media step.
3. SET AN UNPLUG MOMENT
When you are in a new relationship, it can often be very tempting to text and message all through the night, but for the sake of your sleeping schedule and your daily sanity, you should settle on time in the evening where all communication ends, and you can unwind without technology!
4. GET PICTURE CONSENT
Lots of photos get taken by boyfriends and girlfriends in relationships, sometimes cute candid ones that one or the other doesn’t know about. Though these photos can be lovely, you should always get the permission of your partner before posting anything online, just so that everything is above board and consensual.
5. DATES ARE NO PHONE ZONES
For the sake of your relationship and your Facebook friends, don’t take your phones out on dates to check into locations and take romantic selfies! We know you’re together, we’ve already seen your pictures. Just leave your dates for the two of you and refrain from posting every five minutes!
6. ABSOLUTELY NO LIKING TOO!
Even if you are on good terms with you ex and don’t want to unfollow them, under no circumstances should you like any of their new selfies or even group photos. It will alert your new love to the fact that you have been looking in the first place! If you are on good terms with an ex, you should also mention this to your new partner and allay any fears right from the onset that there is nothing to be jealous of – then this is backed up by you not having any social media interaction with your ex.
7. NO CRYPTIC POSTS
We’ve all seen them, those vague, cryptic posts about love and relationships that people post which are clearly a veiled message to their partner. The thing is, they are never as mysterious as the author thinks, so don’t get yourself in to trouble to by joining in with the trend!
8. DON’T BE A Spy
If you see your partner having a long chat thread communication with someone else, try not to rapidly become an investigator and examine every little detail. In all plausibility, it will probably come up in conversation between the two of you at a later time!
