Back in 1985, Steve knew before he met Missy that he would marry her. Not because of her Facebook profile picture or funny tweets, but because he saw her face-to-face every day where they worked.

Asking her out wasn’t a matter of a simple text, he had to find her office, know when she would be there and speak words. Phew, that sounds exhausting.

Today, finding out about someone is as easy as finding their social network. The face of dating has morphed into a digital experience, which means our generation has the responsibility of creating the rules of this new landscape.

That first text is almost as nerve wracking as the first date, and many times you are left in the dark as to how a message was received.

Why haven’t they texted back?

Are they ignoring me?

Am I being annoying?

Are they having sex with someone right this second?

Communication these days goes at warp speed, so when we don’t receive an instant response, we assume the worst. Most of us have heard our parents talk about the good ole days when couples could only talk when they saw each other, which sounds dreadful. But is it?

Modern relationships have constant pressure to frequently communicate, which can lead to disappointment that our parents didn’t have to deal with. But there are pros to texting, like throwing in an ‘lol’ to lighten awkward conversations.

And what’s the deal with Facebook?

There are unspoken rules to the world of social media that we feel have not been answered.

How soon is it to like their status update?

Can you comment on a picture from 2007?

When do you go…Facebook official?

In our parent’s day, they called it going steady. Now the language has changed a bit, and going Facebook official is the first big step.

Knowing when it is acceptable to make that move, and requesting before discussing is a major faux pas. Some people are happier with a private relationship, while others want to show the world their love.

There is no right or wrong answer to when you should go ‘offish,’ but talking it out and listening to your partner’s thoughts is a must.

Getting the friends’ approval is also a different game. These days, it’s hard to keep a budding relationship quiet. Your friends immediately notice when you start texting someone, or when you start double-tapping a cutie’s Instagram pictures.

The second you mention a new name, your best friends will promptly Facebook the newcomer, and quickly—and sometimes unjustly—make strong opinions.

Why is there a girl in their profile picture?

Why is he unemployed?

Why does his pet have a Facebook?

There is an abundance of personal information posted on social networks, making it easy for anyone to learn about and judge a person. Sometimes this can be too much for a new relationship, and the old-fashioned way of meeting the friends can still be the way to go.

Twitter is a beast of its own when it comes to dating. It only takes 140 characters to ruin a good thing. Whether it’s a passive aggressive retweet or a hashtag from hell, tweeting can cause a lot of    trouble.

A common occurrence is the infamous ‘subtweet,’ a form of public humiliation through tweeting overly personal or emotional thoughts about someone in particular for everyone to see—without tagging them.

Subtweeting is a release that rarely helps a situation, especially in terms of dating. To avoid this awkward interaction, make sure to tell your significant other how you feel before tweeting it, and if they don’t respond, subtweet away.

Breaking up used to mean that person was out of your life, but now it’s completely different, thanks to social media.

Why am I Facebook friends with all of their friends?

Why do I still want to Facebook stalk them?

Why do I feel the need to bitch every time they post something?

Why are they all of a sudden friends with 50 other dudes?

Moving on can be difficult when you are still constantly getting updates on their life, and it can be even more difficult if they move on before you are prepared to see it.

It’s important to not let Facebook rule your break up, so if you need the space from your ex, hit the ‘unfriend’ button, and don’t tap back.

After all, our parents didn’t have to deal with this shit, why should we?