Raise your hand if you’re sick and tired of seeing Facebook status updates from that one girl that dated that one buddy that one time in college. Or what about that dude you had 6th grade science with?
I used to think having a shit-ton of friends made me important. If I add everyone I ever meet other people will think I’m important and people will know that others care about what I have to say. Social validation at it’s finest, friends.
Some people and brands still think that way. I think that’s cute. Hell, there are plenty of brands that try every bullshit trick in the book to accumulate friends and followers that don’t matter, don’t influence crap, and don’t impact the bottom line.
You know what that’s called?
Pointless noise.
There’s so much noise, so many things to keep us utterly distracted from the things that really matter why do we insist on validating ourselves with excess “friends” who’s status updates we’re totally indifferent to, who we’ll never speak to again?
Well… probably because of our narcissistic egos, but it’s time to get over it people. It’s time to de-friend those that no longer add value to your lives.
This doesn’t mean you can’t talk to them at the 10-year reunion or if you run into them on the street, but it does mean you’ll have more time to read books, think critically, exercise, and create things that matter because you won’t be browsing insignificant updates that don’t matter.
That’s why I probably un-friended you tonight. I recommend you do the same, especially if they don’t add value to your life — me included.
Oh – and if you take self shots on your cell phone with your shirt off, and your male. I DEFINITELY de-friended you.
Related: You Don’t Know 1/5th of Your Facebook Friends
While our fragile digital egos may be hurt, I really can’t blame anyone for unsubscribing, unfriending, or unfollowing people online. There is simply too much noise!
People with 500+ Facebook friends? Comeon, you’re not REALLY friends with all those people. People following hundreds, if not thousands, of people on Twitter? Comeon, you not REALLY listening to what they Tweet. They’re all hollow connections which equals noise which then leads to the crumbling of one’s sanity! So, yes. Less noise. More sanity. I’ll drink to that.
And Ryan, did you unfired me on Facebook? I wouldn’t know if you did because I haven’t logged into Facebook in months. Why? Because I’m already overwhelmed with social media (AKA noise) as it is! Regardless I’ll e-mail pantless cell phone photos of myself to you since I know you’re not a fan of shirtless ones. Also, I wouldn’t blame you for unfriending shirtless douchebags, but please consider friending shirtless girls. I think those are connections you are gonna wanna make! 😉
I can honestly say I’ve had a conversation and met with 99% of my followers. There’s a couple like Elisa who I’ve built a solid rapport with online over a period of couple of years (I don’t add many online “friends”).
BUT, what I realized is I can still be acquaintances with those people and visit with them in the bar/coffee shop, etc. without following their feed on Facebook.
I already spend too much time reading stuff I shouldn’t online, eliminating status updates I care nothing about is a good step in reducing that noise.
I don’t think we were ever friends Facebook, but I do still have the password to our private wiki of pictures. My favorite is the one of you in the bow tie and suspenders.
Its that noise that always creates a need for a new social platform. Friendster go noisy, MySpace got noisy…Twitter is beyond noisy and Facebook is getting there. Do you think this is going to be the impetus for a mass migration to a new platform in the next year or so?
The creation of a new platform allows for a deep cleanse and starting fresh.
I don’t, but I think that’s a great point. I think Facebook has become prolific enough and that it’s penetrated enough people that it’ll remain a go to resource; however, I do think we’ll see more people following less people on Facebook (and Twitter).
And I do think the “influencers/early adopters” will continue trying platforms like Quora, Empire Avenue, etc. right when they come out because I think they crave that initial inclusion and early conversations that happen amongst each other before it gets polluted (for lack of better terminology) by every day riff-raff.
Crap. Now you wrote good articles like this.. i can’t defriend you.
Facebook for the last 6 months has been getting old. (For the same reason I never got on myspace) I’m to the point of quiting it.
I genuinely doubt I’ll ever quit Facebook because it facilitates connection with people I don’t get to see as often as I’d like, but at some point I could see myself pruning my profile off of most platforms with the exception of Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn. There’s just too much to keep up with these days, and for what? I got over the popularity contests a long time ago.
Ha! You can’t shake me that easy, Stephens! 😛
As a random but important aside, I now have the song “I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight” stuck in my head. Thanks for that…
You’ll be glad to know that I kept the vast majority of my ‘online friends’ because I’m so hesitant to add those people in the first place I wait until I’ve built a solid rapport with them first.
And maybe I’m dense, but I’m not seeing the connection to the Cutting Crew.
Well put. I do this every few months and it ALWAYS leads to some hurt feelings.
But you’re right, it’s not personal.