Facebook unfriending affects relationships

#1

"People think social networks are just for fun," said study author Christopher Sibona, a doctoral student in the Computer Science and Information Systems program at the University of Colorado Denver Business School. "But in fact what you do on those sites can have real world consequences."

Sibona found that 40 percent of people surveyed said they would avoid in real life anyone who unfriended them on Facebook. Some 50 percent said they would not avoid the person and the remaining 10 percent were unsure. Women said they would avoid contact more than men."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 130042.htm

I imagine that most people just want to belong or feel wanted... and being unfriended would hurt them at some level.

Have you ever unfriended someone you knew in the real world? Are you still friends offline? Did you ever tell them why you unfriended them?

Any thoughts?

Tyler · #2

I don't get why "unfriending" someone does that. Especially when you're in something like high school. You can always see them in school. Chill out.

#3

To be fair if you're unfriending someone it's very likely because they said something VERY unpleasant.

X-3 · #4

edit: what I posted before made no sense, reworded it

Sounds like you're trying to justify your hurtful actions, monster.

monstrman · #5

Whoa dont drag me into this

#6

X-3 wrote:Sounds like you're trying to justify your hurtful actions, monster.

BE UNFRIENDED MONSTER YOU DON'T BELONG ON MY FACEBOOK

Bomby · #7

I don't unfriend anymore. I just hide them from the news feed, unless they say something really offensive.

ZeldaGirl · #8

I'll unfriend people I just don't have things in common with, or never see, and never really had a strong relationship with. Because I keep certain privacy settings, there are some people I just don't need seeing my business.

smol Kat · #9

I've unfriended/blocking a few people because I don't want them contacting me (certain people have gotten really REALLY annoying, intrusive, etc.) and in most circumstances the only way to keep someone from messaging you repeatedly when it's unwanted is a block.

YouTube · #10

I unfriend people who I haven't interacted with in a while and don't like that much.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

chibimod3 · #11

When I went to my first semester of college my exbestfriend and I started to drift apart slowly. I kind of grew up and well found a place in society. Whereas he went all dirty neckbeard nerd. I found out that he had unfriended me and several other friends after we sat him down and told him what needed to happen for him to get through college successfully. He has since then flunked out of college and gone home. I'm the only friend he hasn't refriended or hell even talked to besides the occasional text.

So yeah I would have to say it comes down to a combination of how much you actually want to know someone and hurtful/hateful words. I mean in high school it's like a slap in the face to some people. In my highschool if you weren't facebook friends with someone then you had some sort of beef with them or they were an outcast type. I think it also comes down to the inclusion of the group. Nobody wants to be the odd man out.

#12

This is kind of why I avoid Facebook.

Kargath · #13

News: breaking off contact with people offends people!

Random User · #14

I'm pretty sure poor relationships actually affect Facebook unfriending.

Deepfake · #15

I'd be more interested in a study relating to whether or not people who get butthurt were unfriended because they get butthurt too often.

Blake · #16

Random User wrote:I'm pretty sure poor relationships actually affect Facebook unfriending.

Agreed. I have a much lesser average number of friends on facebook than others because why bother friending someone I don't like or know?

Bomby · #17

I can some people that either I've unfriended or have unfriended me that I'd still be cool with if I were to see them again IRL. Sometimes people can be douches on the internet. My Facebook timeline was polluted with politics during the whole Scott Walker fiasco, so yeah, I don't blame anyone who unfriended me during that time.

I REALLY HATE POKEMON! · #18

I think it's rude to unfriendl someone unless they're being offensive.

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I think it's rude to unfriendl someone unless they're being offensive.

SCARY WIZARD · #19

I just restrict access to my posts. My eyes are spared, their feelings are spared, no drama!