5 Things You Should Never Do on Social Media When You’re Going Through a Break Up

It’s normal to go through a range of intense emotions when you’re going through a break up. You’ll have moments of anger, sadness, nostalgia, confusion, relief, numbness, self-destruction… the list is endless and every break up is different. And with social media at our fingertips, it can be super tempting to share all of our emotions online.

But sharing our raw emotions on social media, often doesn’t truly reflect or translate to how we feel, and may actually make it harder for you to move past the relationship.

“Whether you’re belting out the lyrics to Sinead O’Connor’s Nothing Compares 2 U at the top of your lungs or sobbing into your coffee, breaking up is hard to do — particularly in the digital age of social media,” says social media expert Emily Rose Hills to POPSUGAR Australia.

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So, how should we actually handle a break up when our relationship has been splashed across social media? Are there any rules?

Ahead, Emily Rose Hills, gives us five things we should never do on social media when we’re going through a break up, and explains why they can make an already yuck situation, even more tough.

Vaguebook

“Ugh! Cryptic ‘Guess what’s wrong with me’, attention-seeking status updates are simply annoying. Everyone hates them. If you’re going to allude to having the ‘Worst day ever! #tearsonmypillow’ you better be ready to go public with the rest of the details. If you’re not prepared to bare your soul and be genuinely vulnerable, don’t post vague updates.

“Vaguebooking — a combination of ‘vague’ and Facebooking’, describing making a social media post that’s intentionally vague, but has personal and emotional undertones — is a social media sin and on par with businesses using clickbait. There’s nothing like a vague update to encourage your friends and family to hit the unfollow!”

Share Passive-Aggressive Memes and Quotes

“We’re all guilty of sharing passive-aggressive memes thinking ‘There, that’ll show ‘em!’ Instagram quotes bellyaching ‘I’m not crying because of you, you’re not worth it’ and disparaging relationship quotes, secretly hoping your ex sees it, can give you a temporary high but won’t solve your feelings of hurt, anger and frustration.

“It’s healthier to talk to someone in person and then let it go. Ongoing passive-aggressive behaviour can spiral out of control and lead to communication and personality disorders affecting your personal and professional life.”

Post Scorned Love Song Dedications and Shout-Outs to the Ex

“There’s many a catchy breakup song written to soothe a scorned heart such as Little Mix’s Shout Out To My Ex and Mariah Carey’s Prisoner, but never post YouTube clips of breakup ballads to Facebook or give your ex any unnecessary airtime on your feed. This is for two reasons.

“Firstly, Facebook loves to give you annual reminders from a year, two years, three years and basically right back to when you first created your account. Do you really want to be reminded of your broken heart when you’ve hopefully moved on?

“Secondly, Facebook doesn’t particularly want you to post YouTube links. They have their own native video platform called Facebook Watch and want you to stay on the platform as long as possible. When you post external links such as YouTube videos, the algorithm will automatically reduce your reach.

“As much as your tempted, don’t tag your ex in photos, mention their name in status updates, story memories, or write anything that in a year from now will have you cringing on the inside.”

Cyber Snoop

“Cyber snooping never ends well. You’ll simply find yourself analysing every Instagram story or Facebook update ever made and driving yourself crazy. It’s natural to want to go into stalker-mode and see what your ex is up to, where they’re hanging out and gasp in audacity at their choice in partner when they move on, but it’s not healthy.

“You don’t have to block them, but it can be wise to take a break and unfollow them. Give yourself time to grieve and heal.”

Set Up a Fake Account to Follow Your Ex

“A survey conducted of 2000 people revealed 26% of people would commit identity fraud and create a fake account social media account to keep tabs on their ex or even ex-friends. While setting up fake accounts isn’t illegal, if you create a Facebook account using someone’s real details and photographs, you could face charges of identity theft or harassment using the internet.”