Unfollow? Block? And who gets custody of the WhatsApp groups? How to break up in the digital age

When I was 16, back in 2009, I got my first boyfriend. The whirlwind romance began unexpectedly after a school trip and a few too many shots of cheap vodka. (Thankfully, the relationship outlasted the hangover.)

Washington Post columnist Taylor Lorenz, who specialises in internet culture, thinks soft-launching shows how public relations strategies have become ingrained in our lives. The bizarre phenomenon of influencer breakup videos is another, much more blatant, form of PR. In 2018, YouTuber couple Liza Koshy and David Dobrik announced the end of their three-year relationship in a tearful breakup video.

Say your goodbyesGracefully bow out of shared digital spaces, like family group chats, on your own terms. This can give you a sense of closure and adds a feeling of finality. Alternatively, create new group chats with shared friends.