Ask Amy: Dating is tough; social media makes it tougher
What's the protocol? How do I protect myself from myself?
– Socially Confused
Dear Confused: Many people actually “meet” on social media, but they’re in another category, because they already know and are attracted to the other person’s style of sharing.
Your guy is using Facebook like a seventh-grader (not that kids these days use FB), and it’s triggering you to react like a seventh-grader.
You know the truism about STDs: when you’re sleeping with one person, you’re actually sleeping with all the people they’ve slept with.
Facebook is like that. When you connect on social media with someone you’re dating, you become tangentially connected with everyone they’re dating.
Nobody wants that.
For you, I think it’s wisest to use social media the way all the millennials I know do: Lock it down. Be extremely judicious about what you post and private about your sharing circles.
Mute or hide his posts, and if you want, you can check him out during periods when you’re curious or in the mood (no drunk-scrolling allowed).
In the future, it might be best for you not to dive into a Facebook connection early on with someone you’re seeing.
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