Skip to content
Technology & Innovation

Digital Breakup? No! Digital Get-Over-Your-Ex? Yes!

Plenty of websites help you hook up but why are there so few for people who need to move past their ex? Here are some digital ways to keep you from going crazy over your past love.
Sign up for Big Think on Substack
The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

What’s the Latest Development?


Online dating sites are increasingly accepted as a good way to look for a partner but, unfortunately, that is only half the story. For people who need to get past an ex, some new apps and websites are dedicated to keeping you from the obsessive side of your personality. The Ex-App, for example, blocks texts, calls and emails from your former beau or belle until you are ready to handle those digits responsibly again. Another site exists as an anonymous safe haven for the forlorn to deposit their undeliverable love letter.

What’s the Big Idea?

To be clear, the convenience of modern communication is not meant to circumvent responsibility. In other words, do not break up cheaply. If, however, an app or website can provide a little levity to your otherwise pity-filled situation, why not go for it? The pull of an ex, after all, is formidable. A survey of 1,300 dating site members revealed that “71 percent said they think about their exes too much, while 57 percent not currently in a relationship said thinking about their formers prevents them from finding new love.”

Photo credit: shutterstock.com

Sign up for Big Think on Substack
The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

Related
The hospital where Rainn Wilson’s wife and son nearly died became his own personal holy site. There, he discovered that the sacred can exist in places we least expect it. During his talk at A Night of Awe and Wonder, he explained how the awe we feel in moments of courage and love is moral beauty — and following it might be the start of our spiritual revolution.
13 min
with

Up Next