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The Newest Online Etiquette To Learn: ‘Un-Friending’ On Facebook

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File Photo Of A Facebook Page  (Photo Illustration by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

File Photo Of A Facebook Page (Photo Illustration by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Vince Gerasole

Reporting Vince Gerasole

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CHICAGO (CBS) — How many Facebook friends do you have? Do you like them all? Are you tired of some of them?

CBS 2′s Vince Gerasole found out that many people are starting to unfriend their Facebook pals – and learned why they do it.

Online, living social is living large. But in the age of Facebook, friends don’t always behave.

“I don’t want to see 700 pictures of someone and their boyfriend hanging out — it’s obnoxious,” Loyola student Krystalle Franz says.

It leads to “unfriending,” the online version of a breakup.

“It’s one of those things where everyone does it but nobody talks about it,” Franz says.

People confide to social media strategist Tracy Samantha Schmidt what makes them click “unfriend.”  Some of the reasons include people getting too political, or posting too much.

“This is a huge new age of etiquette and we’re just cracking it now,” Schmidt says.

A Nielsen survey found 55 percent end these friendships because of offensive comments, and 41 percent unfriend people they just don’t  know that well. Surprisingly, only 6 percent said they cut the online cord with those who post too much.

Let’s say you have now dealt with all of that angst and frustration and you have decided it’s time to unfriend someone. Facebook itself has some ideas on how to do it as politely as possible.

Click on Facebook’s “Help Center.” There, you’ll learn no notice is sent to those you unfriend, but you’ll no longer appear in their friend list.

Some other reasons the survey found for un-friending someone include sales pitches, depressing comments and divorce or breakup.

View Comments
  • Afro

    It’s kinda like this article I read it wasn’t impressed by it now I’m unfriending it.

  • Jerry Keene

    Well, so far I haven’t been subjected to a sales pitch on FB. When I am the unfriending will come along with a b%t*c slapping if it’s somebody who I also see socially.

  • GO Southside

    I have never unfriended anyone, I believe you can express what you feel on these social medias. I have been unfriend, twice! Once as we were chatting. His political view point was right. I couldnt give a word in, the other person was just someone that i really never wanted to be friends with he friended me, He acted like an A$$

  • Centurion

    If you spend all of your time on facebook…I don’t want to be your friend. Your just creepy.
    So, my friends and I are going to see MSG at Austins…..you can go play your farmville game. We are gonna chase some tail, while you play farmville.

  • juju

    You can get tail in farmville. Just check with Jethro.

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    [...] to a 79-72 victory over DePaul on Monday night and a season sweep of the regular-season series.The Newest Online Etiquette To Learn: ‘Un-Friending’ On FacebookCBS 2′s Vince Gerasole found out that many people are starting to unfriend their Facebook pals [...]

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    [...] The Newest Online Etiquette To Learn: ‘Un-Friending’ On Facebook (chicago.cbslocal.com) Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. [...]

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