Did Mark Zuckerberg ruin romance?
Mark Zuckerberg has ruined romantic relationships.
That's the harsh words from dating site WhatsYourPrice.com whose latest survey has revealed 'friending' a new love interest on Facebook can doom a new relationship.
The dating company surveyed more than 14,000 members on their last relationship to determine how connecting on social media can affect a relationship.
"Social media has transformed the way couples communicate. Entering a new relationship is exciting, yet fragile," the company says.
The survey revealed people who immediately connect with a new love interest on social media are more likely to have short-lived romances.
"Social media can breed jealousy and drama. Nurturing a budding romance into a lasting relationship may mean denying that friend request from your latest love interest.
The survey asked members when they 'friended' or 'followed' the last person they were in a relationship with, and responses were divided into three groups - before the first date, immediately after the first date, and a month or more after the first date. Those three groups were then asked a follow-up question regarding how long their last relationship lasted.
In relation to your first date, when did you friend or follow your last significant other on social media? (According to 14,821 respondents) Before: 26% Immediately after: 42% A month or more after: 32%
How long did this relationship last?
Respondents who answered: Before Less than 1 month: 25% 1 to 6 months: 34% 6 months to 12 months: 23% Longer than 1 year: 18%
Respondents who answered: Immediately after Less than 1 month: 42% 1 to 6 months: 28% 6 months to 12 months: 18% Longer than 1 year: 12%
Respondents who answered: A month or more after Less than 1 month: 18% 1 to 6 months: 10% 6 months to 12 months: 24% Longer than 1 year: 48%
A majority of respondents (42%) who said they connected immediately with their significant other following the first date had relationships that did not last past 30 days. If lasting love is the goal, it seems best to wait a month or more before becoming 'Facebook official'.
"Developing a new love into a healthy and long term commitment means focusing on the relationship," says Brandon Wade, CEO and founder of WhatsYourPrice.com.
"Connecting with a new partner on social media can result in information overload. Allowing too much access to someone's past can create unnecessary anxieties and break an already fragile trust between new partners," he says.
"Couples should think twice before opening Pandora's box and dooming their relationship from the start by connecting immediately on social media.
WhatsYourPrice.com is a patent-pending "Dating-for-Dollars" website. The dating site allows 'Generous' members to bid and pay for first dates with other users. Unlike other dating sites, dates are accepted and rejected directly on the site.
