You just saw Kevin Bacon in line at the deli near your house. You cut your bangs too short and need some immediate support. You’re trying to decide between Thai and Chinese. So you take to Facebook, wasting no time sharing your news, questions and poor hairstyle choices with your online friends and family, hoping to get a much needed like or two. What the heck, you even include multiple pictures of your cartoonish new do (which seems to look even worse in photos).
What’s the big deal? You aren’t too worried about potential employers trolling your profile as you updated your privacy settings. So what’s the harm in sharing online with ease. Well, the truth is your current and future bosses aren’t the only ones eager to get a glimpse of your online presence. Remember that guy at the bar, the one you just met who you thought was better looking than Jake Gyellenhaal? Well, he probably accepted your friend request on his walk to the subway, if not when you snuck off to feed the parking meter, and can’t wait to get to know your posting personality a little better.
What your wall says about you
The thing about Facebook is you can learn so much about a person without even having a conversation, taking all the fun out of dating. It’s great that you share and put all your political thoughts or ideas out there, but remember it’s really hard to make a second first impression. Sometimes less truly is more. That’s not to say you should necessarily censor yourself but just keep in mind that if you write it he will most likely read it.
You have 5,000 friends and many of them are guys
It’s great that you have lots of Facebook friends and like to keep in touch but is there such a thing as too many? The fact is guys want to feel special and not another notch on your proverbial Facebook belt. Of course it’s awesome that you’re so popular and have lots of friends, but if you’re looking for something serious I would recommend hiding the number of friends you have on Facebook. That way you don’t scare off a shy guy with 75 friends, most of them being his family and college buddies.
You are who you are
All that being said, if you love Facebook and it’s an important part of your life ignore everything I’ve said. If a guy can’t take a girl with an active online presence and lots of friends perhaps he isn’t the guy for you. I met my guy while I was writing an online dating column and I didn’t censor a thing. Was it hard for him at times? Sure. Did he stick around regardless? You bet. The fact is, oversharing can be overwhelming to any guy, but maybe that just allows you to skip ahead, leaving unworthy dating candidates in the dust. Happy posting!
