Unfriending people

Is your Facebook news feed clogged up with uninteresting people you don't even remember any more? Or people you'd rather forget? The Mix explains when to start unfriending people.

A young person is on their laptop working out how to unfriend people. They are wearing a white top and looking directly into the camera.

Is it time to cull some of the dead weight in your Facebook friends list? If they’re showing any of these signs it may be time to delete them:

The signs

  • They never call or text;
  • They stand you up;
  • They send 10-page emails to you every minute of the day, but you can only be bothered with a one-line reply;
  • They drop you for someone better looking, and only come back when it fails;
  • You can’t remember why you still hang out;
  • You find yourself planning your shopping list while they talk to you.

Possible culprits

  • Old school friends who remind you of all the worst parts of school
  • People from old jobs who you never really liked
  • Your mate’s ex who cried on your shoulder and you’ve never had the heart to tell them to piss off
  • Your best mate from school, college or university – you’ve grown out of them but don’t want to admit it
  • Habitual mates – you don’t have much in common any more
  • The next door neighbour from where you lived when you were five – you played together until you were old enough to realise you aren’t well matched as pals

Result

Life is too short for friendships that don’t bring you joy, so it’s worth setting boundaries and making space for the people who you really care about. You will feel a million times better afterwards and instead you can do whatever you bloody like with whoever you bloody like.

Next Steps

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Updated on 23-Feb-2023