I just finished some Facebook housekeeping and what I mean by cleaning is getting rid of some of my (what do I even call them after I defriended them?) acquaintances.
As reported in a new study conducted by the University of Colorado, below are the top 5 reasons why you get unfriended on Facebook.
- Frequent Unimportant Posts: Sorry, but your friends don’t really want to be getting minute-by-minute updates of your band… You might want to try Twitter for that!
- Religion and Politics: If you’re using Facebook to air your political and religious beliefs, you’re bound to offend somebody! Remember, if it’s not a good topic for a dinner party, don’t bring it up on Facebook either!
- Inappropriate Posts: Keep it PG please! If you’re constantly posting crude or racists comments, you can’t really blame your Facebook friends for unfriending you. If your mother shouldn’t be hearing it, don’t post it on Facebook!
- Offline Behavior: While 57% of surveyed participants unfriended for online reasons such as the ones above, 26.9% unfriended for offline behavior. So to get and keep all your Facebook friends, not only do you have to stop being annoying and act appropriately on Facebook, you have to do so in real life too!
- Social Hierarchy: Just like in real life, there is also a social hierarchy on Facebook. The study found that those making the friend requests are much more likely to be abruptly unfriended, while those who unfriend have the dominant role in the relationship. So while you won’t be unfriending your mother any time soon, you might unfriend that “friend” who requested your friendship after meeting you at freshman orientation that one time.
