Learning How To Be A Facebook Friend

Learning How To Be A Facebook Friend
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Originally published on Youthradio.org, the premier source for youth generated news throughout the globe.

By: Melody Or

Most people don't stress about Facebook. They update their status, upload a new picture and comment on a friend's wall without thinking twice. And if they don't like something on their page, such as a negative comment, there's always the delete button.

But I've deleted more than just a status update or a misspelled word: I've deleted my entire account.

When I first joined Facebook, I added everyone I knew as a friend. I didn't even think about privacy, I just chose to let all these people into my life. I assumed that if I accepted people's friend requests, it meant they would accept the responsibility of being a good friend, but I was wrong.

For example, I noticed I hadn't talked to one of my online friends in awhile, so I sent her a message. Days later, I noticed she was back online, but not responding to my message, which I took as a sign she didn't want to be my friend. So I deleted her. I began to think my private life wasn't her business.

In fact, I got so annoyed I decided to deactivate my account. I didn't want to be her Facebook friend or anyone else's. At that moment, I realized being an online friend is different than being a real friend; there are different layers of friendship online.

Some people are true friends, who are active on your page and comment on your status updates. Others are just placeholders; people who just add you to make their friend count higher, or look more popular, but these people never talk to you. Here is where my personal problem lies. I don't want to be online friends with someone who just wants to look popular; I want to use Facebook as a tool to keep only the people who are truly close to me updated about my life.

I realized that people use the internet for different reasons. I can't get mad if other people's online intentions are different then mine. I decided to rejoin Facebook, but use it less. I no longer take the social networking world as seriously, so I don't stress about status updates or friends not responding to me. It's become kind of like high school for me in a way; I don't have to be popular to be happy. I just need my true friends.

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