I’ve never set my relationship status on Facebook or any other social media. As you have noticed, I am an extremely private person, never willing to share any details about my romantic life, reluctant to open myself up to other people’s commentary about — okay, okay, you caught me. Yes, I am a private person about many things. Sex isn’t one of them.

But setting my relationship status will only complicate, not clarify. I’d rather people talk to me. Otherwise they might make assumptions about my interests, availability, or partner(s) based on their own interpretations of the multiple choice options.

Kelli Lawless has a thoughtful article on her Dating and Mating in America blog about What It Means when you do, or don’t, publish your relationship status in social media.

Will you change your relationship status?
For those who live and breathe social media, this little click of a button signifies a one-line piece of big news. But for people who are skeptical of the value of sharing their life with a world of partial strangers, changing that status can be a make it or break it moment in every relationship.

The real problems arise when you are dating someone who feels differently than you do about shouting out to the world that you are in a relationship. If you’re a little in doubt as to where your boyfriend or girlfriend falls on the “status change” issue, here are some tips on how to spot and communicate with the 4 most common types of social media attitudes.

Are you transparent? Cautious? Burned? Not gonna do it? Let her know in the comments.