Why You’re Being ‘Unfriended’ on Facebook…and Why it Hurts
New research out of the University of Colorado Denver is shedding light on why your Facebook friends are leaving you…and why you feel bad about it.
The first of the two small studies, conducted by Ph.D. student Christopher Sibona, looked at which of your friends were most likely to ‘jump ship’ and why.
He found that your high school friends are likely the first ones to ‘unfriend’ you. This may be because when you first became friends (in real life) you hadn’t yet developed strong opinions about politics or religion. Now that both you and your opinions have grown up, they often show up in your Facebook status updates. And those polarizing and/or offensive posts are the main reason you lose friends.
Surprisingly, Sibona also found that your co-workers who are also Facebook friends are more likely to unfriend you for things you do in the ‘real world’ than for what you post online. I would love to see this phenomenon explored further.
The second study looked at the emotional side of being ‘unfriended.’ The research revealed four determining factors:
You will be more affected if:
- You were once a close friend to the person who unfriended you
- You closely monitor your Facebook friends list
You will be less affected if:
- Both of you knew the relationship was troubled before the unfriending
- You confided in others after being unfriended
The study showed common reactions people have to being unfriended ranged from surprise to amusement to sadness.
You can participate in the research:
Sibona is currently investigating why people either stay on or leave Facebook. Those interested in helping him determine why people come back or leave can take his anonymous survey.
How closely to you watch your friends list?
How would you feel if your best friend left you?
Would you care?
————————-
Kirk Englehardt is Director of Research Communication and Marketing for the Georgia Institute of Technology. He currently blogs about strategic communication in science and higher education at http://thestrategyroom.tumblr.com He also posts and interacts regularly on Twitter @kirkenglehardt.
No comments:
Post a Comment