Reasons to Block Your Ex on Social Media

Social media has added a wonderful/awful element to our lives. We’re digitally connected while physically estranged from those we’re close to. We can easily become angrily (or amorously) entwined with people we’ve never met. And, we can both feed and receive information to/from The Ex.

[Sigh]

There are various reasons why separated couples might choose to remain connected on social media. The most popular reason is likely that they share children and social channels provide casual connection for all family members. And naturally, some couples who split amicably choose to remain friends and therefore keep their social connection.

But there are times when it’s appropriate to sever connections. There are times when it’s not enough to unfollow or disconnect… sometimes you need to privatize your presence and use the Block Feature. Here are a few scenarios:

Discipline.
Are you quietly stalking your ex online? Can’t stop checking up on him/her? Does it hurt you to see the latest updates, yet you can’t seem to tear yourself away from the screen? Or maybe it doesn’t hurt, exactly, but your curiosity just won’t quit. If so, it’s time to remove your access to this portal of insatiable scrutiny. Block your ex, and move on with your life.

Emotional Protection.
Let’s say you’ve unfriended and/or unsubscribed from your ex, but you continue to share mutual friends. Do you feel triggered when you see your ex tagged in photos or when you read comments from him/her? Protect yourself while you’re healing with the block feature.

Personal Safety.
Is your ex stalking you online? Is s/he using information from your profile to attack or harass you? In that case, block your ex (as well as anyone else who might relay information) and, if it’s appropriate, alert the authorities.

Inappropriate Sharing.
People who share a history don’t always see eye-to-eye about how to handle that information in a public forum. You and your ex might be friends in real life, yet have trouble coexisting on the social screen because you disagree on whether or not it’s cool to share certain details in the presence of certain individuals. Some people simply have different boundaries.

Social media can complicate the breakup process, but luckily there are tools to help you mitigate personal risk. Don’t be afraid to use them.

 

 

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2 Comments

  1. As someone that was immediately blocked three years ago when my ex left some of these points have merit, however, since I am on the losing end of a custody battle it would be nice to see photos of my daughter three years after the fact. I wish mine would grow up we have separate lives now.

    • I think we, as a society, can do a better job of supporting the coparenting model. Parents don’t have to be “friends” and share their lives with each other, but they do share children. The sharing of information and pictures should naturally be an expected responsibility.

      That said, sharing photos on social media doesn’t come without difficulties- seeing kids with their other parent’s new partner, or pictures of them indulging in activities you don’t approve of, etc.

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