You meet a great guy, you go on a date that turns out well and you decide to add him as a friend on Facebook. Good idea or not? Before you start getting trigger happy and adding every guy that offers to buy you a drink, consider the potential problems that could occur. We got some insight from Match.com relationship expert Whitney Casey on how to handle dating in the age of Facebook.
What do other people think?
Match.com sought out the opinions of over 5,000 singles from across the US about sex, relationships and dating. When it comes to Facebook, 26 percent of younger singles surveyed (ages 21-34) think it’s okay to add a date as a Facebook friend after two to three dates, while 11 percent of singles between the ages of 35 to 44 wait to friend a date on Facebook until it becomes an exclusive relationship.
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Potential problems
Match.com relationship expert Whitney Casey advises that singles hold off on adding potential paramours to Facebook. Adding someone too early could complicate things if you decide you no longer like the person – and now you have to see them every time you sign in to Facebook. Casey says you also have to remember that whoever you add as a friend (and who accepts said friendship request) now has a glimpse into your daily life, so if you blow him off and then go to a party (and post pics from that party) he’ll know that you weren’t sick or busy with work like you told him. “Facebook is for networking, keeping family and friends up to speed on what’s going on or catching up with high school buddies,” Casey says. Your dating life and your social networking life should be kept separate.
What to do instead
If you’ve already added a few guys to Facebook that you’ve met or gone on a few dates with, don’t panic. Delete any you genuinely didn’t like — Facebook after all is supposed to be for friends and people you actually enjoy. For anyone you’re currently still seeing, just be wary of what you post and what gets posted about you. If you’ve been out with a guy three or four times and its going well, he might change his mind if he sees that photo of you sitting on someone else’s lap, even if it was in jest and meaningless. The point is to be careful if you’re going to mix dating with Facebook.
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