Breaking up is hard to do. But these days it's a little easier, thanks to a new concept -- the e-breakup -- the use of email or instant messaging to break off relationships.

As described in the Boston Globe, it looks to me like the e-breakup makes things much easier for the message sender -- the e-breakuper -- and not that much harder for the receiver --- the e-breakupee.

The e-breakuper is much better off -- saving the time spent delivering the message and facing the e-breakupee's suffering. Meanwhile the e-breakupee is a little worse off -- missing out on a last chance to see and lay a guilt trip on the e-breakuper.

There's no putting the e-breakup genie back in the bottle. And there's no doubt it's changing how relationships work.

Have you been an e-breakuper or e-breakupee? Is it better or worse?

The Internet solves messy breakup problem originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.