SALINAS - A Salinas man didn't like his girlfriend's status on Facebook, so police said he punched her in the face.
It's another bizarre example of how social media's changing the way people live.
"Everyone's on it," said Shelby Sturvist of Salinas. "That's all they do. Sometimes they don't want to do anything else but be on Facebook 24/7."
When she's not shopping in Old Town Salinas, Sturvist admits she's a Facebooker, but there are limits.
As far as her relationship status on the site, she said it really doesn't matter.
"I feel like if you need everyone to know, it's kind of lame and you just want people to know instead of how happy you are with the person," she said.
But for one couple in Salinas, police said a mere relationship status on Facebook provoked Luis Salazar to punch his girlfriend several times in her face.
Officers said it's because the victim didn't update her status from "single" to "in a relationship" after they got together a month ago.
"Usually perpetrators of domestic violence are very insecure, so there's a lot of stalking behaviors and this just allows a perpetrator to stalk more fervently, so to speak," said Julianne Leavy, marriage and family therapist for Harmony At Home in Carmel.
While most people think social media is a great way to be connected with friends, Leavy said there are also consequences.
"It's just another avenue for a perpetrator to control the victim, because it's another way for that person to recognize that their wife or girlfriend is reaching out to others and having a social outlet," she said.
Police are also seeing a growing problem because of technology, like smart phones and social media.
Leavy said the more you post online, the more problems you can create for yourself.
Some Facebook users said they know the dangers.
"I don't even put anything on (my relationship status)," said Joseelyn Baez of Salinas. "I put "divorced" and I'm not even divorced."
