Don't get me wrong, I have terminated my share of virtual connections but barring the general acquaintance, I guarantee the affected unfriend was not surprised by the severing of the tie because we'd had a real life discussion to lead us to that point. The opposite is true as well; having been the unfriend-ee, I am rarely shocked to find the cyber window into one another's life has been shut. It's when the cut can be felt as a physical wound that it is being grossly misused.
While every one has the ability to use their social media in whatever fashion they choose, it doesn't mean they should. If you were friends/family in real life don't you think they deserve at the very least, an explanation? But no, no, our culture suggests that passive aggressive posts and unfriending is the way to make a point with out actually owning your thoughts and actions.
Even as I type the software doesn't recognize the word 'unfriend' and that, my friends, should tell us something as a society - as humans. So stop congratulating those that "made the cut" in your posts after you've gone through and "cleaned out" your connections. There are better ways to deal with your current emotional state than with a cyber F-you. Consequently, if you no longer want to be Facebook friends - be darn sure you don't want to be friends in real life either because for most, there's very little difference.
Honestly, I'm shaking my head as I reread what I've written because really, there should be no reason for it. We are real people with real feelings, living in an already really challenging world - yet we have the luxury of connecting on virtual forums. So with that social privilege should come social responsibility. Do better, people. Don't let unfriending be the marker for this generation.
