We now live in a time where breaking up is rarely the end of the relationship. Thanks to social media, your ex can and often does slip through the cracks without warning. Just when you think you’ve finally gotten over him, a selfie or video pops up and there he is with his arm around someone new. You can hide him and try to pretend he doesn’t exist, but at a certain point, you have to cut the cord entirely. Here’s why you need to delete your ex and move on for good.
- He shouldn’t be privy to your life without him. Chances are, he’s seeing what you’re posting just like you’re seeing his stuff, and you shouldn’t give him the privilege of knowing what’s going on in your life. It’s no longer any of his business. Sure, you might be thinking it’s a great way to make him jealous/wish he wasn’t dumb enough to lose you, but revenge rarely ever feels as good as we think it will. Delete your damn ex!
- You need to stop yourself from stalking him. Don’t even put yourself in the position of being the nutso ex-girlfriend who secretly looks at his 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 get rid of him from all forms of social media. You might wish you knew what was going on for a while, but you know what they say — out of sight, out of mind.
- You shouldn’t be stalking your ex’s circle, either. Curiosity kills the cat. Just because he likes 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. Of course, if you end up keeping the mutual friends you shared with your ex, this can be a bit more complicated. However, if they’re no longer in your life, they should no longer be in your feed.
- It’s healthy to cut ties. If you were serious about the breakup, then you should no longer have any ties with him. Being friends on social media means you’re still keeping him in your life. The idea of being friends with an ex sounds great, and maybe you will be one day, but for now, you need to delete him.
- It helps you 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 like some ridiculous rom-com cliche. Don’t put yourself in that position. Delete, delete, delete.
- You have to give yourself time to heal. Sometimes it’s easy to think you’re over someone when it’s clear you’re really not. Having your ex’s picture come up week in, week out or seeing him doing dumb TikTok videos is a like constantly putting salt on an open wound. You need time to grieve and you need time for the wound to heal.
- It’s important to put the past in the past. Unless you’re trying to re-kindle an old flame (which is likely a very bad idea — he’s your ex for a reason!), 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. That doesn’t mean you can’t think back on the time you shared fondly, but it’s history. Your future is ahead of you.
- It will ultimately help you move on. There is always some tiny, microscopic part of you that still cares a little for your exes. They were once a part of your life and they always will be, but if they keep showing up on your smartphone screen, then you’ll never fully let go. You can allow yourself to miss him, but keep it at that. Do yourself a favor and delete your ex. You’ll be so much better off.
