It’s easy to become desensitized to social media. How many times have you sent out a Tweet or posted a Facebook status without thinking of everyone who’s seeing it – grandma, that kid you sat behind in math in high school, and of course, the ever present employer on social media.
Sometimes sharing on social media is a great thing. If you write a killer article or have great news to share about the new internship you got, it’s fantastic to have thousands of Facebook friends. But when an unflattering photo from a party surfaces or you have to list yourself as going from “in a relationship” to “single”, you might start to regret your massive friends list.
There are some ways to remedy this – adjusting privacy settings, removing tags, or just deleting posts off of Facebook altogether. But another solution to consider is the good old unfriending sweep.
Some might gape in horror at the thought of unfriending people on Facebook. But let’s be real: there are much worse things you can do to a person. Disconnecting from a person on social media because you no longer want them to have access to your private information isn’t mean: it’s practical. Remember, this is your life and you don’t have to share it online at all, never mind with your ex boyfriend’s roommate.
When doing a Facebook detox, it’s important to consider what kind of things you post. Are you a Facebook oversharer who posts every morsel you eat and homework assignment you do as your status? Or are you a closed book, with your info boxes practically blank? If you find yourself posting info on Facebook that you might not actually want everyone to know when you consider everyone on your friends list, you may want to consider making that list a little more exclusive.
So who makes the cut? There are two factors to consider when kicking people out of your Facebook life: how they make you feel and your relationship with them. Online relationships can be just as toxic as they can be constructive. If you find yourself prone to Facebook stalking your ex or seething with jealousy every time your former friends post photos together, it may be time to cut the cord. Unfriend anyone who leaves a sour taste in your mouth and makes Facebook a negative experience for you.
It’s also important to consider the relationship you have with some of your so-called friends. Isn’t it weird when that girl you did theatre with in high school randomly likes your albums? That should be a friendly reminder of just who can see what you post and whether or not you want them seeing it. Go by this rule of thumb: If you wouldn’t say hi to them if you ran into them, it’s probably weird to have them on Facebook.
Some people can’t be bothered with going through their Facebook friends, but the benefits can be more numerous than you think. Studies show that Facebook can make you feel depressed, since it causes you to compare yourself to other people, constantly. Not to mention, an unfriending spree can rid you of negative influences in your life and protect important aspects of your personal life. So before you keep someone on your friends list just to avoid hurting their feelings, remember the benefits of keeping things small and simple.