SO glad I didn't click that: "In a relationship" button.

According to the London Daily Mail (referenced in a recent New York Post story), "A new poll finds that 48 percent of people under 21 and 18 percent of people ages 22-30 dumped a loved one via a social networking site like Facebook."

That's half of all relationships, folks. And you thought getting dumped on the phone or in a text message was bad form. Getting dumped on Facebook is like a global public hanging.

This has lead to a recent surge of Miss Manners types to say that new rules of social etiquitte must be instituted to ensure this atrocious act of rudeness happens less often.

Like, do unto others as you would like them to do to you. Basic kindness. Respect. Consideration.

All seemingly in short supply these days, and we switch glibly from "Single" to "Random Play" to "In a relationship" to "Engaged" to "Married" to "It's complicated."

No kidding.

I've even seen married couples get into a row about it when "she" wants to say they're married and he's got cold feet about announcing it on Facebook. Huh? You're married folks.

And it's typical that the Woman is all to eager to click "in a relationship" while the man still has cold feet. Leading to ... complications.

Like, when the Other Woman finds out! Which is what happened to my friend Troy, leading to his getting dumped by all the women he was seeing once they all found out about each other on his Facebook page.

Or what about those other potentially embarrassing widgets and features? Like getting an Erotic Gifts from that lover you're seeing on the side? Or a big, smoochy kiss or purple flashing heart that can linger on your page long after the notorious womanizer player has moved on to his next target...letting everyone on your friend list know you were one of his victims.

And what about those who have been dumped, publicly, on Facebook. Nothing like waking up to see your boyfriend's "in a relationship" suddenly disappears and changes to: "random play"?

Me, I'm keeping it simple. And I'm not clicking that button until he and I both mutually agree we're "In a relationship" we are confident enough about to announce to my 780 "friends". If that ever happens I'll dance from the rooftops, and crow about it on Facebook. Heck yeah.

In the meantime, I'll just stick to: "networking" and "friends."