Relationship advice guru Judith Martin, better known as Miss Manners, cautions people to think twice before they post online: “Don’t go public with your so-called private life.” Martin says her daughter told her: “‘You know George Orwell’s 1984 has come about, but it’s not them doing it to us, it’s us doing it to ourselves. We’re watching ourselves every minute and posting everything out there.’ Change your password, folks, and don’t go snooping around the Internet on purpose.” Kella Vangsness is trying to follow Miss Manners’ old-school advice. The 21-year-old college student recently broke up with her guy and decided to quit Facebook and Twitter altogether to speed up the healing process. “I mean, I can’t imagine life without it, but I’ve been off it for almost a week, and I’m doing fine,” Vangsness says. Long gone are the days when you could throw the ex’s toothbrush in the trash and burn the shoebox of photo evidence of your once-happy coupledom.

Digital Tears: Breakups And Social Networks : NPR

(a) uh-mazing.

(b) this is why i’m “married” to a 20-pound poodle on facebook. and actually, in real life, it’s not so different from marriage.  i feed him, snuggle him when he lets me, clean up after his mess.  and - critically - it’s entirely asexual.

(c) that this story ends with ‘set me free why doncha babe…’ was my favorite part.

nprftw will now be its own term.  use frequently.