12 Annoying Things About Breaking Up In The Digital Age (That Nobody Really Thinks About)

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I imagine breaking up in the 1800s wasn’t fun either, but nowadays we’ve definitely got quite a few hurdles to overcome. We all know that the internet is written in ink, but here are a few annoying realities that stay with us a lot longer than any of us would really like:

1. Fleeting Declarations Are Permanent:

We fall in and out of love. But the way context (or lack of context) works, an emotion you felt one time can now be the emotion that exists during all time. If that cutesy, ‘we are definitely in love’ picture gets way more likes than anything else, does that affect you as a virtual person? How does that moment change if you find out he/she cheated on you?

2. Everything Is Now Cryptic:

You broke up two weeks ago. She tweeted that she had the “best start to the day that [she’s] had in a long time.”

Has she already met someone else? Or did she just get a free coffee?

3. Digital Lingering: 

Remember that time you were in Vancouver for a few weeks so you guys traded skype names? Next time you log into skype for a job interview, his stupid skype name will be staring you in the face. Motivation?

4. Second Guess Likes: 

A friend of yours made a very funny joke. So funny, you laughed out loud and read it to your roommate.

But this friend is better friends with your ex, and you liked another status of hers just a few days ago. Are you creeping into weird, unintentional message-sending territory?

5. The Heat Of The Moment, When Not That 80’s Song, Probably Isn’t Pleasant: 

Have you ever not somewhat regretted something you posted whist feeling intense emotion? Regardless of whether or not it had to do with a breakup? That’s heightened you, not permanent you.

6. Accidentally “Restoring” Your Phone:

I did this a few months ago — phone got restored back to 2011, when I was knee-deep in a not-so-fun split. That was over three years ago, but thanks to modern technology I was able to re-live it all, a second time!

7. It’s Very Stressful Spring Cleaning: 

Just so many things to delete. And do you even want to nix those pictures from that cruise?

The whole thing is a pretty huge headache, and you never really realize how much digital space the other person truly occupies.

8. They’re No Longer On Your Team: 

Obviously this is rare, but you hear so many crazy stories about people using sexts and other scandalous relationship materials to undermine someone else later on in life; be it out of jealousy or revenge, career undermining, or personal gain. Going back to number one, that sext no longer just exists in that moment…it’s as forever as whatever piece of jewelry you may want for the holidays.

9. When You Do Meet Back Up…

How much stalking do you admit to? It’s sometimes a weird game of both people knowing more than they’re letting on, but admitting to that fact can lose you the upper hand.

(Hopefully you don’t care about the upper hand, but let’s be real — most of us aren’t that saintly.)

10. Watching your ex go batshit on social media isn’t fun either:

It’s never fun to be on the other side of things either, watching your ex post a million selfies a day in some weird, manic, attention-craving attempt to get you back. You start to feel bad, and that starts to mess with your head.

11.  Pretending Someone Doesn’t Exist Is Impossible:

You can run but it’s remarkably difficult to hide from an ex’s existence. Sure, you can unfollow or remove someone from a friends list, but if somebody else likes their stuff, you see that in the activity log, or a friend of a friend posts a picture with them. There’s often no escaping constantly being reminded of a face you don’t want to see.

12. Are You Gonna Have To Start Paying For Netflix?

Let’s hope not.