We now live in a time where breaking up is rarely the end of the relationship. The overwhelming amount of portals through which our exes can slip through the cracks and back into our lives is as simple as them “liking” a photo on Instagram. Just when we think we’ve finally gotten over them, a news feed update pops up and there they are, with their arm around a girl who happens to have a mutual friend.
We can hide them from our news feed and pretend like they don’t exist, but sometimes we just have to face the music. There comes a time when you have to put a stop to it. Whether it’s a fresh wound or ancient history, sometimes it’s necessary to delete our exes on social media. Here’s why:
- To stop them from stalking us. Chances are, they’ve seen what you’ve posted and you shouldn’t give them the privilege of knowing what’s going on in your life. It’s no longer any of their business.
- To stop ourselves from stalking them. Let’s not even put ourselves in the position of being the nuts ex-girlfriend who secretly looks at their photos from the weekend. Don’t tempt yourself by keeping him as a friend on Facebook if it’s just going to torture you. Save yourself the drama and rid him from all forms of social media.
- To stop ourselves from stalking other people they are talking to. Curiosity kills the cat. Just because he like another girl’s status or one of his friends commented about the night they had doesn’t mean that you have to go all True Detective on him. Stalking him is one thing, but stalking his friends is a little overboard.
- To cut the ties. If you were serious about the break up, then you should no longer have any ties with him. Being friends on social media means you’re still keeping him in your life.
- To avoid getting nostalgic. We all have one of those nights where we choose to stay in and have a night to ourselves. Then, all of a sudden, we find ourselves scrolling through old pictures. One thing leads to another and we’re listening to sad music, eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, and crying about the good times we had with our ex. Don’t put yourself in that position. Delete, delete, delete.
- To give ourselves time to heal. Sometimes, we think we’re over them when we’re really not. Having their picture come up week in and week out is a like constantly putting salt on an open wound. We need time to grieve and we need time for the wound to heal.
- To put the past in the past. No more “throwback Thursdays” when it comes to our exes. The past is the past and unless we want to re-kindle an old flame, don’t go liking old photos or bringing up a memory from years ago. The history is always there, and as long as you have social media to keep you connected, history can always repeat itself.
- To be able to move on. There is always some tiny, microscopic part of us that still cares a little for our exes. They were once a part of our lives and they always will be, but if they keep showing up our smartphone screens, then we’ll never fully let go. You can allow yourself to miss them, but keep it at that.
