By Crystal • 9 Comments
It seems like one of the most important parts of your Facebook profile is your relationship status. After all, it's one of the first things people seem to ask you about. Most people don't mind listing it, even with all the drama it sometimes causes. Personally, I say you don't have to list your relationship status on Facebook if you don't want to. In fact, there are some very good reasons not to.
I'm one of those oddballs who is with a guy that's not on Facebook. I proudly listed my relationship status and even have pictures up of the two of us. The majority of people didn't believe me at first. Apparently, you can only be with someone who also has a Facebook account. While I still have my status up, I'd recommend skipping it completely and avoiding the inevitable 20 questions as to whether your partner actually exists.
In this era where social media validation seems crucial, I often joke that my partner is almost like a mythical creature – rare and unseen online. Friends chuckle at my solo tagged outings or our cozy dinner photos sans his digital identity. Funny enough, this became a unique quirk in our relationship, one that invites curiosity and sometimes skepticism. What some fail to realize is that not having your partner on Facebook can be a breath of fresh air, allowing for more privacy and less social pressure. Truly, there's a certain charm in keeping some aspects of your relationship just for yourselves.
Anyone who has a relationship status of “Single” has probably experienced the barrage of unwanted attention. Facebook isn't a dating site. However, that one status seems to mean you're desperate for someone to date. Believe me, people get angry when you turn them down. After all, if you're single, you should want to date everyone who asks you out, right? That's a resounding no. Sometimes you're just happy being single.
There are many reasons why someone may not want to list their relationship status on Facebook. One reason is that they don't want to be bombarded with dating requests. People who are single may be perfectly content with their relationship status and don't want to be pressured into dating someone they don't feel a connection with. Others may not feel comfortable having their relationship status listed publicly for all to see. Additionally, some people may be in a complicated relationship status, such as being separated but not divorced, and not want to make that information public. With all these considerations, it is understandable why someone would choose to keep their relationship status off of Facebook.
I hate it when I see others getting involved in other people's relationships. This is one of the main reasons not to list your relationship status on Facebook. It seems like everyone has an opinion and they need to know every detail of your relationship. This usually happens most when you change your relationship status. If you don't want to deal with all the questions and general busy bodies, just leave your status blank. It'll be a lot easier that way.
Disgruntled exes often stalk their exes on Facebook. They constantly check up on the relationship status especially. They see it as their job to prevent you from dating anyone else. Do you really want to make it easy for your ex to cause problems? While they'll figure it out sooner or later, skipping your relationship status will give your new relationship time to grow. This makes it much harder for an ex to gain any traction when it comes to breaking up the two of you.
I'm never certain why people post that they're in a complicated relationship. They then get annoyed when anyone asks questions. If you don't want to have to explain yourself to hundreds of friends, don't post the relationship status to start with. You're already going through rough times with your partner. Broadcasting it to the world isn't going to make things easier. If you need to talk to someone, only let a few close friends know.
Whether you're single or in a relationship, you're going to have friends who keep pushing you to date their friends or hurry up and get married already. Either way, it gets annoying quickly. People seem to forget you might be happy as you are. Still, I've seen quite a few people give in to the peer pressure only to be miserable during their dates or get divorced a few years later because they weren't ready for marriage. If you'd like to avoid the pressure, don't post your status.
Facebook is usually seen as a way to share every little detail about yourself. Many people don't feel the need to broadcast their entire personal life. Your relationship is something extremely personal to you. If you'd rather not have your Facebook friends tearing into this private part of your life, you don't have to list your relationship status at all. It's perfectly okay to go incognito for this part of your profile.
Believe it or not, your relationship status isn't a mandatory part of joining or using Facebook. You're free to keep that private. Sometimes it creates far less drama just to leave it blank. Do you list your relationship status or not?