NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Back in the day, breakups were easier: you packed his stuff in a box, burned his letters, and tried to move on. Today, however, the internet makes a clean break almost impossible. In fact, in a recent YourTango.com survey*, 71 percent of respondents said they think about their ex too much and 48 percent (including 42 percent of married people) said they look at their ex's Facebook or other social networking profile too often.
Recognizing the value of being liberated from an old flame, YourTango.com—the online leader in love and relationships—has anointed February 13 as the first annual "Break Up With Your Ex” day. Between February 1 and 13 YourTango.com encourages people to:
- Unfollow your ex on Facebok, Twitter, Foursquare and other social networking sites;
- Block or erase the person instant messaging services;
- Delete their phone numbers email addresses;
- Enlist the support of friends and community to detach and stay detached from your ex;
- Get back into the dating scene
“The current digital landscape makes it difficult to truly break from past relationships," said Andrea Miller, founder and CEO, YourTango.com. "Nevertheless, getting someone out of your head—and your heart—is a necessary part of moving on and finding new love.”
Additional data from YourTango.com’s research underscores how pervasive the problem is:
- 57 percent of singles said thinking about their ex prevents them from finding new love
- 60 percent of married people agreed that their ex is on their mind too often
- 36 percent said their attachment to their ex interferes with their marriage
The epicenter of the campaign, www.breakupwithyourex.com, contains a resource center for people who want to sever ties and for those looking to lend support to friends who need to cut the cord.
YourTango.com will also host an array of original content including advice, video and quizzes.
Glo.com, a lifestyle site launched by MSN, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. and BermanBraun, is participating as a campaign partner, providing and promoting content.
*Conducted on YourTango.com, Facebook.com/YourTango and SurveyMonkey.com, a national sample of 1,047 people were questioned. Polling took place over December 22, 2010 - January 5, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 3% points at a 95% confidence level.