The Newest Online Etiquette To Learn: 'Un-Friending' On Facebook
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.
