Do You Know How Soon is Too Soon

By AMANDA McCullough

It’s a question we ask ourselves constantly. Should I friend them? Will they even remember who I am? Do I even want to be friends with them? We met at a party, does that even count? It’s the new relationship question.

It’s a double-edged sword on Facebook. You are able to connect in a less intimate way than a phone call while still getting to know that person. Yet at the same time, Facebook can give away some of the mystery and sometimes it can end things before they even start.

But, there is that awkward moment where you ask yourself, “Should I friend them or wait for them to friend me?” You don’t want to seem to eager but nor do you want to come off as someone who friends everyone they meet. There is also the thought process that if you request too soon it might seem like you spend all your time on Facebook. But let’s face it, between smart phones and procrastination we are almost always connected to Facebook.

It’s not just a game in life anymore but also a game on social media. There’s that experience at a party when you have a few too many cups of brew and you’ve been chatting with someone when you say, “You should totally friend me on Facebook.”

And they respond with “Oh totally.” But the next day comes and no request. The day after, still no request and then you think “Should I friend them? Does it matter?“ You don’t want to seem like a stalker and search the network in hopes of finding the right “John” or the right “Sarah.”

Yet, if you are interested enough, I bet that you will go ahead and search for them in hopes of finding them and information on them, unless they are responsible and actually have privacy settings.
As a side note, if you do not want people to stalk you then change your privacy settings.

If you do get that notification for a friend request from that person, don’t lie; you get some satisfaction that they took the time to find you. Especially if you met at a party after a few drinks.
The game is changing and we have to move with it. So my advice is if you’re interested and you have a smart phone, just do it then. Smart phones are here for a reason. If in the morning you regret it, you can blame in on the juice. Or you saved yourself the hassle and might potentially have a new conquest or, at the very least, a new friend and who doesn’t like a new friend? For those that don’t have smart phone access, take the “risk.” What’s the worst that can happen? If so, then move on. They aren’t obviously worthy of your awesomeness.
Or wait. It’s up to you.