The Internet has changed our lives in so many ways, and one of the most profound of these has to be in terms of relationships. And by that I mean proper, loving, physical relationships. They can get started on the Web, exist almost solely on the Web (long-distance) and even be ended on the Web. The latter, it seems, is becoming much more commonplace.

I met my current girlfriend online. And yes, she is a woman, and no, she didn’t post a picture of a model to entice me in. That was over three years ago now, after our cursors met over a busy forum, and we’re still together, though it’s slightly more serious than it was back then. And we’re not alone, with many people I know having met their partners online.

While my relationship is a success story (fingers crossed) of the power of the Web to bring people together, other relationships, whether started online or not, end every day. And according to a new survey on Lovehearts.com, the Web is becoming increasingly important as a method for finishing with someone.

The poll results show that 48 percent of under-21s and 18 percent of 22 to 30-year-olds have ended a relationship by using a social networking site such as Facebook or Twitter over the last 12 months. Half of all under-21s and a fifth of the next generation up? That’s a scarily large figure. But it’s not really all that surprising.

Relationships amongst the younger population tend to be short-lived and easily ended. What better way to break it off with someone than to tell them via Facebook or Twitter? It may seem harsh, and is, but it has the dual purpose of preventing the dumper having to actually tell the dumpee in person and letting all the couple’s friends know at the same time without the need for messy sob stories and explanations.

This isn’t pleasant but it is merely an extension of the way the Internet was already being used in a similar way. For years, people have been dumped or booted out of a job via email. The likes of Facebook and Twitter just streamline the effort even more.

I just hope my girlfriend doesn’t read this article and get any ideas. Although, there would be some strange logic in ending a relationship that started on the Web via the same method.

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Entry was posted on Thursday, February 12th, 2009 at 11:24 pm under Internet, Opinion, Social Media, Web2.0.

Read more entries by Dave Parrack.
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