London - I love Twitter. Really, I do. I also enjoy Facebook, but Twitter and I have a special bond. But for me, it’s not personal. I don’t reveal breakups or new relationships and my every emotion in between.
For many newly single friends of mine, deleting their ex on Facebook is their first port of call. And it seems Liz Hurley comes from the same school of thought. As do Miley Cyrus and Kim Kardashian.
Not so long ago, Hurley said she was “too raw” to update the world on the status of her relationship with fiancé (or ex?) Shane Warne… but not too raw to use Twitter and let the world know how she feels. That’s what friends are for, Liz, not millions of strangers.
I predict she will soon launch into an attack on the media, ask for privacy during this difficult time, but still continue to post cryptic and extremely personal messages like this on her social networking site.
I can understand that this would be par for the course when you’re 16 years old, at that age you really don’t know any better. But I’m talking about grown women here, all of whom feel the need to recount every moment of their heartbreak to their followers.
I can understand the motivation behind it, even though I mightn’t agree with it. It’s an attempt to take control of her carefully cultivated public image, from one of a loved-up former model to a heartbroken woman rebuilding her life.
Next, it’s a magazine deal. And then, there’s the reality show documenting her life as she pieces it back together.
I know what you’re thinking, “You’re getting all this from one Twitter comment?”, but I’ve seen it a million times before.
Stars are under a lot of pressure to keep the publicity mill going, and have the potential to profit a lot more from their heartbreak.
Since Facebook really took off a few years ago, many a magazine feature has been published debating whether or not “defriending” an ex is the way to go after the relationship ends.
Psychologists have published articles concerning this very matter as men and women struggle to cope with breaking up in the digital age.
But if you can’t stay friends with an ex on a simple website, remember it is a website and not real life, then were you ever really mature enough to be in the relationship to begin with?
Twitter isn’t a diary entry, it’s the most public and shared form of multimedia communication.
And anyone in the public eye knows very well that their accounts are monitored by fans and foes alike when they’re in the middle of a scandal.
Twitter-holic Kim Kardashian may be 30, but she’s not exactly famous for her emotional maturity, whereas Miley Cyrus actually is 20. She has an excuse for her decision to unfollow ex-fiancé Liam Hemsworth; mostly that they were too young to be engaged to begin with.
I’m not singling out women here, although I do feel I can relate more seeing as I am one.
For example, Seal was clearly unhappy with his ex-wife Heidi Klum when she ended their marriage and swiftly unfollowed her with a message saying “The End”.
Then there’s Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, whose entire relationship was documented on Twitter… from start to finish.
The End. – Irish Independent