Your Relationship Will Be Cancelled When You Hit Save

I could not count the times I’ve heard someone ask if their friend’s relationship was “Facebook official” as if posting their relationship status online suddenly made it exist. Admittedly I too have been absorbed by the online world and have even caught myself asking that same demeaning question. But this website is obliterating the personal side of the private life. If you’re dating someone, kudos to your good fortune but how does claiming your love online make it valid? I, like many others, have “friends” that I no longer converse with on a regular basis so what business is it of theirs if I’m single? But if you are with someone and things don’t work out, there’s the awkward changing of the status that everyone can view at their will. Even the way Facebook goes about asking you to end your relationship is disheartening. I’m aware it’s just a website but when I went to change my status it asked me “are you sure you want to end your relationship?” No actually, I didn’t but thanks for making me feel worse about the situation. I clicked the yes button only to find another prompt: “your relationship will be cancelled when you hit save.” Cancelled? Cancelled? You can’t cancel a relationship like you cancel an order, or an accidental text message. It’s not something you can just delete, cancel, or hit the backspace button on; it’s a significant part of life. Some people spend their entire lives searching for love and this site dismisses it as easily as a document is erased. It’s no wonder this generation has misguided expectations, or lack thereof, in relationships.

So after you’ve successfully cancelled your apparent trivial connection, those people you never talk to feign concern, offer their hollow condolences and ask for an explanation. The people you do talk to should already know…so why post it to begin with? Maybe it does offer some kind of validity for people but personally, I’d like to keep my private life secluded, as it was meant to be, not plastered over the internet. Yes, I’m aware that you can change your settings and have certain information available to specific people but why not just refrain from posting that material? Your actual friends should already know and your imposter friends don’t care. If it was possible to return to a state where chivalry reigned and love was valued, Facebook has triumphantly obliterated that chance.