Relationships 101: Facebook

Backstory

Recently, I've reentered the dating scene and I have been absolutely floored by the role the technology has played in the development my current relationship.

From the beginning then,

Evan and I were set up by our grandmothers who each suggested that we add each other on Facebook. Facebook.

Just mull over that for a moment, we basically met over the internet.

Either way continuing on...he added me as a friend, then private messaged me, we talked on there for a little bit (about a day), before he gave me his actual cellphone number. We then texted until late into the night, said goodnight, and I woke up to a "good morning" message around 9 o'clock. We texted all day, and then he came over to my place for dinner and cards. After he left, he reiterated how much fun he had via text and the process from the last night continued.

Why do I go into so much detail?

Because each step carries incredible significance in this society, and I believe that everyone should be informed.

Therefore, for this first post I will barely scratch the surface on the role of Facebook at the very beginning of a relationship.

Prelims 

The "Add"

There is a lot that goes into beginning a relationship via Facebook. And it all starts with the friend request.
Just like in face-to-face communication, it is significant to both parties on who send the request. Also, just like in the "real world," most women prefer for the guy to add them. It says something of his character that he took the step to initiate contact.
However, ladies, if you are the one doing the requesting this is also acceptable because it shows the man in question that you are a woman of gumption, so you go girl!

The Message

This is the step. This is also the one where the guys need to step up, because ladies, my advice to you is to WAIT. If your guy had enough guts to send you a request, he can man up and send you a quick note or even just "hey :)." Ladies, this is also true even if you did the adding. If you want a man (like a real one that has confidence), you must allow him to take the lead in this early stage of the relationship (we'll talk about being a Leading Lady later).

Chatting

In my experience, Facebook messaging is of a different caliber than actually texting straight to someone's phone. However, at the beginning of a relationship, messaging on Facebook is completely acceptable! Enjoy this stage! This is the time to get to know someone, ask sill question, and all around figure out who you're dealing with. Now eventually, baring any extenuating circumstances, you will want to make the transition to actually using text messaging.

Conclusion

Facebook is now nearly crucial in the early development of a relationship. People use it to gather information about the person they are interested in: pictures, wall posts, the about me section, etc. With that said, it is very important that Facebook profile be portraying the "you" that you want the world to see. It's important that your profile really exemplify who you are because whether you like it or not, people will be looking and drawing conclusions about you from it.
First impressions have taken on a whole new meaning in our digital world, someone's first impression of you may very well come from your Timeline.