Karli Shondell is...

...In a Relationship.

OK, not really(ish). I'm talking about facebook relationships so don't get too excited, but I'm wondering what the protocol is for becoming "facebook official". There was no Facebook, when I was dating in high school and college...OK, who are we kidding, I didn't really date in high school. Honestly I didn't date much in college either...Hmm, scratch that. It is accurate that there was no facebook, but apparently not extremely relevant because I still may not have had a need to change my relationship status. Anyway, when the facebook came out I was already in a serious relationship so under relationship status I put in a relationship. I did change it to engaged and then married, but those are kind of no-brainers (we don't really need to dig all that up, anyway). I'm getting off-topic. What I want to know is how do you go from single to in a relationship. I have asked people about this before, but have never gotten a straight answer. I would think there would have to be a conversation at some point. Really, the facebook relationship status update could be a good icebreaker for this kind of sometimes-awkward discussion of "what are we?". On the flip-side, facebook could help you avoid this question. Instead of having the conversation, you just update your status and hope that your boyfriend accepts your request. However, I see how this type of avoidance could really come back to kick you if your in a relationship person doesn't accept your request. Then your mind starts spinning...did they do that on purpose? should I send it again, just in case?, now he's going to think I'm crazy, what if he never mentions it, should I mention it?, now what? Really, a rejected relationship update is just as good as a break-up. I don't see you recovering from that very easily.

I also think it depends a lot on how old you are. I imagine there's a lot of facebook game playing going on in college....probably even more in high school, but if you're as old as me you just want people you never see to know if they should be offering to set you up or not. Now, if you get much older than me I don't really think you need to be messing too much with that part of your profile. Say you're married, if you're married so your high school sweetheart doesn't think they still have a chance, but then leave it alone. Oh, and one other thing, I don't think it is ever appropriate to go from married to it's complicated. Even if it is complicated! You just need to keep that to yourself. I'm really not a real big fan of the it's complicated status in any context, but can see how it might be fun to play with if you're in the 15-19 year-old range.

All in all, facebook relationship waters seem kind of tough to navigate. I think I'm an advocate of a simultaneous, possibly drunken update. Short and sweet. Just rip it off nice and quick, like a band-aid. Please let me know if you have any insight, and I'll update you if I come up with any on my own.