Many of us have “friends” on Facebook and we are not sure why they are our friends. They just are. Well, maybe it is time to do a little cleaning up of your friends list. Whether it be old loves or long lost relatives, there are six types of friends that must be removed.
Number One: The ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend that “got away”.
Nobody needs to have their former boyfriend or girlfriend as a friend on Facebook. No matter how the relationship is since the break-up, it’s just an awkward situation and can cause problems in future relationships. If you are the “dumper”, do you really want your ex to see everything you do? Or, if you are the “dumpee”, would you like to be reminded of what once was all the time? No matter how much you say you’re over it, old feelings can still lurk every once in a while due to seeing your former significant other pop-up on your news feed.
Number Two: The person you went to high school with that wasn’t even your friend.
A person should not be your friend on Facebook if you didn’t even talk to them when you went to school together. Why talk to them now? Just because you know someone doesn’t mean you need to add them on Facebook. Facebook is not a popularity contest to see how many friends you can have, so don’t feel obligated to confirm a friend request from someone to whom you won’t even talk.
Number Three: The distant relative.
This is another situation where you may feel obligated to confirm a friend request. But unless they are a close relative, someone you genuinely want to stay connected with or an in-law that you’d like to impress, you don’t need to add them. For example, nobody needs to have their cousin’s step-mother as a friend on Facebook.
Number Four: The teacher from high school.
Unless your teacher was a social media teacher, the relationship between teacher and student should stay professional; meaning, there is no need for them to be your Facebook friend. Remember in high school, when it seemed weird to see a teacher outside of school? The same goes for Facebook. If a new student were to see a teacher’s former students on their friend list, it may take away some respect for an authority figure. Or, if a teacher were to be friends with a student of the opposite sex, some people may think that to be inappropriate.
Number Five: The person you think you know, but aren’t sure.
If you aren’t sure if you know a person, don’t add them. There will always be an opportunity to add them if you realize you do know them. Having common friends is not a reason to add someone online. It could be a creeper or a spam-bot, which will end up giving your computer a virus.
Number Six: The Farmville Fiend.
No offense to the people who play games on Facebook, but the constant news feeds, invitations and wall posts get really irritating. The quizzes also end up hurting feelings, even if your name is anonymous at first. Beware, after fifty answered questions, your name will be revealed to be the jerk who called your friend ugly. If you have a friend who does this, let them know that it’s nothing personal, but they’ve got to go.
Social networking sites are a wonderful creation. Not only can you share the latest news in a matter of seconds, but you can also reconnect with friends you haven’t seen in a while. But be careful with the friends you add or the people who try to add you.
Try cleaning up your friends list. It may not make a big difference, but you won’t have unnecessary issues later.
