by Robert Hoglund

Created on: July 27, 2011

Facebook's popularity lies in its ease of use, and the fact that you can connect with a massive network of people you know instantly.  It's easy to accumulate hundreds of friends, but what happens if you want to cut back and delete some of them?  There's a variety of reasons you might want to do this, and here's how.

To delete a friend, go to their profile page.  Scroll down all the way to the bottom, then click where it says "Remove Friend"  on the left-hand side.  Facebook will ask you to confirm that you want to unfriend the person, and then if you are sure, you will no longer be friends with them.

Why would you think about deleting a friend? Well, there's lots of reasons; whether you have issues with the person, or simply do not talk much with them anymore.  If a person posting inappropriate statuses or comments against you or other friends, it may be a good idea to unfriend them.  Whatever the case, Facebook makes it easy for users to terminate friendships- either person can do it at any time, and the connection will be lost.

If you want to start unfriending people that you don't want anything to do with, make sure that you have a good reason.  From indecent behavior to unfamiliarity (how do you know them in the first place?), these are important factors to consider.  Also, make sure you don't unfriend everyone at the same time- this can cause outrage on the part of people who thought that they deserved to be your Facebook friend.

The most important thing to remember is to use discretion when deleting your Facebook friends.  Ponder how your decision will affect them.  Do they still want to remain friends?  If they do, and request you again, you should talk it through with the person to convey why you were deleting them in the first place.  This will alleviate the tension and allow you to begin working out your differences.  If they are unwilling to reason with you, then you can delete them without regrets.  Sometimes, it's best just to delete the friend rather than argue with them.

Deleting Facebook friends is a good idea for those who have accumulated hundreds, even thousands, of connections.  However, it's important to carefully pick which friends you will delete because you may never hear from them again.

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