Is Facebook good for your heart post-break up? Not so much. When he breaks your heart or she dumps you, you never want to see your ex again. But there is one problem. Her new profile picture is all over your newsfeed; he’s writing flirty messages on another girl’s wall. There is no doubt today that Facebook has complicated break-ups. A study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking found that stalking an ex on Facebook is linked with greater distress over the breakup, more negative feelings, and more longing for the ex-partner. It evident for obvious reasons that Facebook can prolong break-up pain and interrupt the emotional recovery of it. Being exposed to your ex on Facebook, through photos, updates, or new relationships, intensifies stress and sadness. Thus, it is better to keep a distance, both online and offline, in order to heal the wound that the break-up created. But let’s face it, who can really help it? One psychologist surveyed more than 450 users and found that keeping up with one’s ex resulted in longer-lasting heartache. But this raises the chicken and the egg question: which came first? Are people becoming more depressed over their breakup as a result of their stalking, or are they stalking because they’re more depressed in the first place?

Not only are people using Facebook to monitor their ex, but they are also using it to check out their ex’s new, or supposedly new, partner. Further, some go as far as using a mutual friend to gain access to their ex’s life if they defriended each other after the breakup. While pictures of an ex can easily stir jealousy, studies also found that people post pictures in an attempt to make their ex jealous. The social network site is also causes people to linger over their past. People might re-read and overanalyze old messages or wall posts and delete pictures from when they were actually dating. Additionally, Facebook is in some ways used as a coping mechanism. One might quote song lyrics about the breakup or update depressing, sad statuses.

Whatever the case is, in my eyes, Facebook is not good for the heart post-breakup. The social networking site becomes an anchor to more depressing thoughts as it allows you to be continually updated on the life of your ex. To successfully overcome a breakup, Facebook should be steered out of your path. But let’s face it. In the age of social media, who can really help it?