Dating in a Social Media World.

Lets face it, dating isn’t awesome (or maybe it is a little) but either way, throwing social media into the mix takes it to a whole new level.

Ah, Social Media.  Its supposed to connect people, make the world smaller, let people who don’t know one another in real life discuss similar topics of interest or band together to support a cause.

But it can really f-up your dating life.

I should probably start off explaining that though none of my friends are really tech savvy,  it is one of my criteria’s for dating someone, therefore, if you don’t know what bing is, lets just say… we can be friends.

Its not that I’m a bitch, but I own a social news startup, that aggregates stories from around the web via content curators so if you don’t know what any of that means or get the concept, its going to be really hard for me  to want to date you,  considering I do that 90% of my day.

But, I digress.

I’ve always thought that “Facebook ruins lives” for many reasons.  If  you’re friends with an ex or someone you like, you find out way more information than you want to.   I really didn’t want or need to see my ex on his Aruba vacation with his new gf thank you very much, but that came up on my feed.   And who’s this skanky girl that’s posting hearts and stuff all over the guy I like’s wall?  And why is he engaging her.  (oh phew…its just his cousin)

Information I didn’t want to know, nor wanted to freak out about, are now in my face (or on my feed).   But, b/c of my obsession with FB,  I’ve dealt with my hatred for it. (Eh, we can’t all be perfect)  So don’t’ worry FB, I won’t be unfriending you any time soon.

But Twitter and FourSquare…you’ve both just entered the arena with new ways you can fuck up a new relationship.

FourSquare is seriously  becoming the bane of my existence.   Besides that, I already thought we broke up, why is he still in my life?  Oh, b/c everyone else is using it?  So I still find out where they are?   Awesome.

Here’s my issue.  I don’t want to know that the guy I’m talking to who I haven’t spoken to in 2 days, just checked into a club, nor do I want to know that he’s two blocks from my office at a lunch meeting.  Its information I’m quite happy without, yet you like to have it show up in my twitter feed.   It’s almost as bad as seeing your ex’s vacation pics.  Except its worse…its real-time, he’s literally there RIGHT now.

What if I was going to go by that place for lunch.  In the olden days, you know…before check-ins, it would’ve been a coincidence.  Now…I would just look like a crazy stalker.  And what if I was a crazy stalker?  (Which, I’m not  )

So I have to consciously think NOT to go there.  And FourSquare, its just too much brain power for me to care or think about.   But knowing that information, I now have to deal with it.  So once again, you make me hate you.

And Twitter, getting information from someone who you were supposed to hang out with before they get a chance to tell you b/c they’re telling the world is just a little too real time for me.  It almost ruins some conversations b/c I already know.

So, for all you tech-savvy guys, here’s my advice.  THINK, then tweet.   If I find out something from Twitter before I find out from you telling me, I might get annoyed by that. As far as check-ins go, just tell your friends, sometimes I just don’t want to know where you are.

Its too much information…leave some for the imagination so that next time I see you, I don’t have a recorded trail via Twitter or FourSquare letting me know where you’ve been since I last saw you and then I’m actually zoning out when you tell in me real life, b/c I already know.  Yea, I cyber check you out, but I’m not admitting to that when I see you.

So maybe, lets chillax with the whole real-time location checking, letting everyone know what you’re doing thing.

Thanks.

(Btw, the situations in this post didn’t happen to me, but similar things have, so if you’re someone I’m dating, chill, I’m not actually freaking out or zoning out  )