Social Media and Former Coworkers: Not Just For Stalking Exes Anymore!

You know what’s the worst part of breaking up with someone?

That the person just, you know, goes on existing.

And, now that social media has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, not only do we get constant reminders that an ex somehow finds the courage to keep living, but we see that he or she is happy. Without you.

According to an article in The New York Times, “Status updates and tweets have a way of wending their way back to scorned exes, thanks to the interconnectedness of social media.”

You could always defriend the person. But, come on. You know you’re not going to. How else would you get to stalk your ex? Call and hang up? Sorry, caller ID made that move pretty much irrelevant. Late-night drive bys? A little creepy. And, if not being able to stalk an ex means living in a world no social media, well, I just don’t want to live in that world.

All the better to stalk you with, my dear.

This whole thing got me thinking about those who leave their jobs–voluntarily, or otherwise.

Again, social media is part of our everyday lives. Which means most of us have coworkers, managers, the big kahuna CEOs, etc. in our social media network. These connections don’t expire just because you’re no longer at the company.

And, like with exes, being updated on the lives of former coworkers can range from awesome (Ex boyfriend caught Herpes from new girlfriend and Former CEO is starting a new company and is asking his network if anyone’s interested in a job) to terrible (Love of your life, whom you’ve never gotten over, is getting married to your best friend, and Former boss found replacement employee, much better than what’s-his-name who used to work here).

Do you keep former employees in your Facebook and Twitter networks? In my opinion, you shouldn’t sever ties just because either you or a coworker left the company. You never know if that person will some day be hiring for a position you want or might know someone who would be perfect for a position you’re hiring for.

This is once again another reason to be careful when you’re posting on your personal social networking site. Remember: You never know who’s reading your status, and once it’s online, it’s there forever. Like exes.