Why Social Media and Dating Do Not Mix

You see it all around, Facebook status updates notifying you that your friends are now single, in relationships and a few were bold enough to announce that for them, it's just "complicated". One of the normal questions to ask when someone introduces you to their new significant other is, "Where did you two meet?" For me, I actually like to start the ball rolling with, "Is the sex good?" But that seems to turn people off for some reason so I tend to smile and give them a nod of approval. But with social media playing a major role in today's politics, entertainment, and the news-is dating the next logical arena social media should be used for? How sexy is it to "tweet my lover" on Twitter or "poke my boyfriend" through Facebook? The simple answer is "No!" And here are the top 2 reasons why you should not date through your social media networks.

1. Don't tweet where you eat. Social media is the latest way to spread the word about your business and the services you offer. Yes, many use it for personal reasons but if you decide to cross-over and use the platform for dating, there are several ramifications waiting for you. The first one is losing credibility in your market. Imagine if you're in the printing business and your followers are used to seeing the latest updates in the printing market in your news feed. You currently offer great discounts to those who follow you and occasionally throw in a few give-a-ways to satisfy the "we want free stuff" desire in us all. You've worked hard to become a leader in your industry and people look forward to your updates, including a few of your clients and possible business leads. Then you meet Tammy, a knock-out brunette whom you've been flirting with for the last month through Twitter at the "We'll Bind More Than Your Papers" website. Now, your Twitter, Facebook and blog streams went from tips on printing to "I heart Tammy" and an entire series on your blog titled, "How to Catch the Woman of Your Dreams," but unless you manage to tie your printing business into these posts-your audience will be lost and confused and all the hard work you've done to position yourself as an industry leader will be flushed down the drain. Also, you look a bit sleazy trolling for love on the social media sites and your reputation will tarnish in a 140 character status update. Don't use your business social media networks to look for dates or sex.

2. What if things go wrong? You went against my advice and you tweeted, poked and posted about Tammy. She even came to the company BBQ where you showed off your masculine traits by throwing darts and carrying a 5lbs water jug. Then, a few months later, things go awry when you discover Tammy's flirting with Bob in accounting-the chubby bloke who wears a toupee. You're heartbroken and devastated; you did everything for her, even made her a personalized calendar with photos of you and her at the company BBQ holding up a bowl of potato salad. When you confront her, she tells you the romance is over; she now desires a man who knows his way around a 10-key calculator. Next, she's tweeting about her new man, Bob, and letting everyone know it's over with you. Now, you're getting messages from South Africa asking you if it's true. This upsets you, first because you don't know anyone from South Africa, but second, your life is now a Lindsey Lohan news update. And because you allowed your social media networks into your personal dating life, it's even indexed in Google that Tammy prefers the chubby hairless accountant over you. You're no longer seen as the industry leader, but instead, as the printing fool. Will you ever recover? What about your business?

As easy and innocent as it may appear, flirting on social media networks may look like a good idea-but if you calculate all the things that could go wrong-is it really worth it? There are so many dating sites available online that can give you variety and dating options, you should stick to those. And keep your social media networks clean and free from anything that can be misconstrued as flirting or asking someone out on a romantic gathering. This way, you leave your business world intact and you leave the devastation and life misery to Lindsey Lohan.