If you agonize over every post-heartbreak detail related to your ex while torturing yourself with old photos of happier (and less lonely) times, then you're probably very near becoming some sort of senior citizen. Breaking up, even with all our modern conveniences, is still a very difficult process for some to achieve, let alone master with precision. Thankfully, we have heartless teenagers here to show us the way.
According to a new study from the Pew Research Center on teens, dating, and technology, these heartless teens are not conjuring the spirits of the past by creating "digital shrines" to their exes. In fact, these teens aren't even obsessively stalking their respective exes' Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter profiles. Today's teens, according to the study, are growing increasingly comfortable with the idea of initiating a post-breakup "pruning" of all digital connections with former significant others:
Accordingly, teens often take steps to prune these digital connections when romantic relationships end. Among teens with romantic relationship experience:
This process is particularly noticeable among young women, with 48 percent of female teens reporting they have deleted their ex's number from their phone. By comparison, there are no detectable gender differences when it comes to relationship pruning via the old school texting route. Girls and boys are "equally likely to have removed an ex from their phone contacts list," according to the Research Center's findings.
Still struggling with how to successful end it with your current significant other?
Listen to the kids!
