Facebook is rolling out new tools on Thursday that will become available when you change your relationship status, according to The Verge. The tools give users the ability to limit how much you see your ex on Facebook, limit what they can see of you on Facebook and adjust what other people can see of past posts that contain the both of you.
"This work is part of our ongoing effort to develop resources for people who may be going through difficult moments in their lives," said Kelly Winters, Facebook project manager. "We hope these tools will help people end relationships on Facebook with greater ease, comfort and sense of control."
The new tools are now available for mobile users in the U.S. and will continue to expand as the company adjusts the features using user feedback, according to AOL News.
A study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking found that exposure to your ex via Facebook can increase negative feelings, longing and sexual desire, according to the press release. Conversely, those who refrain from checking on their ex on Facebook tend to move on easier and have higher levels of self-worth.
"It is just as plausible that people who were hung up on an ex-partner were more likely to seek them out in person and engage in greater Facebook surveillance, which in turn sustained the pining for the former partner," said Tara Marshal, author of the study. "Likewise, people who stagnated after a breakup rather than experienced personal growth may have been more like to retain the ex-partner as a Facebook friend."
