People are Unwilling to Delete Facebook Friends Due to Social Stigma
Social media is a great way to keep in contact with friends and acquaintances alike, but there are always people on there who you wish to ignore or avoid. Whether they're constantly making racist comments, sharing too much or are just generally annoying, you don't want to see it. Fortunately, you can easily unfollow a friend on Facebook without losing them from your friend list and there might be a reason people are more likely to do that than unfriend them.
Whenever I hear a friend complaining about someone regularly on Facebook, I have to ask why don't they just unfriend them? They don't like them and they just seem to spend their time complaining about or laughing at them. If I actually bothered using my Facebook, I'd just unfriend them, but that isn't the case for most people. The people who are most annoying and most likely to cause trouble are being found to be the people who are popular in real life. Maybe that's why they think they can get away with causing trouble online because they have no fall out in real life as no one dares. No one wants to be the person to get in the fight with someone who could count on all your friends being on their side and they're right, it isn't worth it.
We all like to think of social media as this great place that allows us to see everything that's going on, but that's also made Facebook a social minefield. It's worrying that you can't simply unfriend someone on Facebook without it having an impact on your life. You might think that no one would notice if you did so, but they really would and it's not just teenagers.
Researchers looked at 52 Facebook users and their 5,113 contacts from 13 to 45 years old. They asked them to rate 100 randomly sampled Facebook friends in terms of online disagreement, rational closeness and communication frequency both online and offline. They found that the people who were popular offline tended to be more avoided online as they were troublemakers. This could be because people were avoiding fights, but they still considered them a friend. The online disagreements were found to mostly be between users aged between 19 to 21.
So next time you want to unfriend a friend, maybe step back and think is it worth it?
 |
| Metro |
We all like to think of social media as this great place that allows us to see everything that's going on, but that's also made Facebook a social minefield. It's worrying that you can't simply unfriend someone on Facebook without it having an impact on your life. You might think that no one would notice if you did so, but they really would and it's not just teenagers.
Researchers looked at 52 Facebook users and their 5,113 contacts from 13 to 45 years old. They asked them to rate 100 randomly sampled Facebook friends in terms of online disagreement, rational closeness and communication frequency both online and offline. They found that the people who were popular offline tended to be more avoided online as they were troublemakers. This could be because people were avoiding fights, but they still considered them a friend. The online disagreements were found to mostly be between users aged between 19 to 21.
So next time you want to unfriend a friend, maybe step back and think is it worth it?
Rosina is a Songbird writer with a degree in Creative Writing. She's trying to focus on her novel on the side but is glad to be playing around with apps and writing about them in the mean time! Follow her @Songbird_Rosina
Contact us on Twitter, on Facebook, or leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or management why not take a look at our website for more info: TheSMFGroup.com
People are Unwilling to Delete Facebook Friends Due to Social Stigma
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Friday, May 06, 2016
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Friday, May 06, 2016
Rating:
Unknown
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews. Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare. Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way. So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing! More articles are posted every day so keep checking back! Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird Or contact us directly - @SocialSongbird_
Entrepreneur, international speaker on Social Media Marketing. First one in the UK to write and speak in conferences about Twitter as a marketing tool. Consultant to Corporate Companies, Government Organizations, Marketing Managers and Business Owners.
Aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. He started as a writer and soon after he was made Executive Editor and Manager of the team at Social Songbird. A position he held for 5 years.
Adrienne is a passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. She’s a lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000s pop culture.
Musician, audio technician, professional tutor and a Cambridge university English student. Interested in writing, politics and obsessed with reading.
Recently graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and he is about to study an MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an aspiring journalist and novelist; in his free time he enjoys playing chess, listening to music and taking long walks through nature.
Lucy is an undergraduate BSc Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Anna Coopey is a 4th year UG student in Classics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is a keen writer and researcher on a number of topics, varying from Modern Greek literature to revolutionary theory.
Ellie is a recent BA English Literature graduate and aspiring publisher with a passion for writing. Her favourite pastimes include reading and shopping.