5 Types of People You Should Unfriend on Social Media

In 2010, American TV host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel declared November 17 as the “National Facebook Unfriend Day”. So, today can be the right day to do the right thing and remove the “friends” you have on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc that always annoy you or give you negative feelings. We assure you that there is nothing bad about that. Generally speaking, there are 5 categories of people that you should remove.

People you don’t know

If you can see names that you don’t really recognize on your newsfeed, you should probably just unfriend them. It is not uncommon in an age of hyperconnectivity to make virtual connections with people we don’t (or barely) know. It is true that sometimes these connections can be a positive thing, but most of the times they are unnecessary and don’t benefit us at all. Do you really care what someone you have never met ate for breakfast or that he/she was at some party?

People who annoy you or make you feel bad

If you have some distant relative or a friend of a friend who keeps being negative or simply does not give you a good feeling with their behaviour, feel free to cut them off. You are not forced to see what they are doing or what they have to say. Experts say that social media platforms can have a negative effect on our mental health. Even following some celebrities or influencers can be toxic, especially if you keep on comparing yourself with the idealized versions of others’ lives. Some studies revealed that anxiety and depression were more common in users who had negative interactions on social media.

Political ranters

Facebook and Twitter can be used for annoying political rants. Some people not only voice their opinion but keep on spamming everyone with their political activities. They even share what the leaders of the party they support said almost every day. Other times, they keep on hating their political opponents. Either way, you probably do not want to be bothered with that. Therefore, you should think about muting them or simply removing them from your friend list if you don’t know them very well.

Your ex

Around 70% of people stalk their exes on social media. It is not always necessary to unfriend your exes, especially if you have part ways in positive terms. However, if you are starting to be obsessed with what they are doing and who they hang out with, perhaps you should unfollow them in order to make yourself better. The same goes if you notice that they do the same to you. And we are not talking just about ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends, but to all ex-friends, ex-coworkers and other potential exes. Social media usage should not interfere with your sleep, mental health or daily responsibilities.

Distant people you are not connected with anymore

All the people that do not fit in the other 4 categories, but you still feel them pretty distant may need to end up in the unfriend zone. We are talking about neighbours from your childhood, former classmates or previous coworkers you don’t talk with anymore, or perhaps you have never talked with them at all. You should probably make room in your newsfeed for people you’re close with. This will be a more rewarding way to use social media. Don’t forget that it’s normal for connections and relationships to change over time. Therefore, don’t regret cutting off some social media “friends” and focus your energy on the people that are closer to you.