Breaking Up

Breaking up is hard to do.  There is pain, hurt, disillusionment, and a whole slew of other emotions when a relationship ends.  There seems to be a trend for slamming the person you have just broken up with publicly.  In the past you’d get together with your friends and bitch about the former partner.  Now though it seems like when people break up they almost immediately go to social networking sites and slam the person publicly.
While the ex-partner may deserve every slur you want to heap on them doing it publicly has consequences.  Depending on what you say it can have legal and even career consequences.  For one thing if you can’t back up your statements with fact there can be a charge of slander or libel depending on what you say.  Also if you have those types of statements out there then it is possible that employers won’t hire you because it shows a lack of judgment.
There is a saying about not airing your dirty laundry.  If you use social networking sites then you need to keep this in mind.  For one thing once it is out there, you cannot take it back.  If you meet someone new and they see that you trashed a former partner then they may decide you are too much of a risk to date because they don’t want that treatment if you break up with them. 
It is hard for relationships to end.  It is painful and disheartening.  The whole world does not need to know why it happened.  I know it can be difficult to grieve the loss of a relationship but throwing it out there on social networking sites is not going to ease your pain.  Ultimately you are responsible for your actions – even on social networking sites.