New Study Reveals Why We Delete Facebook 'Friends'

A new study reveals why we join Facebook, why we add new 'friends' and, why we dump those we have 'friended.' The study also reveals the impact our real-world relationships have on our Facebook interactions.

The new study comes to us from Neilson, best known for its research on television viewing. The study focused on Facebook user behaviors, including why we join Facebook in the first place.

Real-World Interactions Behind Online Friendships

The study revealed that 82 per cent of people add friends on Facebook because they know and like the person in real life.

Other reasons folks added friends on Facebook include business connections (11 per cent), finding the person physically attractive (8 per cent), and just wanting to increase the number of people "friended" (7 per cent). (Source: pcmag.com)

So, why do we remove our Facebook friends?

Most 'friend' removals are due to something the person in question has said online. Neilson found that 55 per cent of all Facebook users have removed friends because of "offensive comments" made on the site.

Another 41 per cent said they have removed people because they simply didn't know the person well enough -- which makes one wonder why they ever added that person in the first place.

The study revealed that Facebook users sometimes make a hasty decision to add a new friend in the hope that a relationship (friendly or amorous) will develop. However, when that fails to happen -- as it so often does -- one person eventually removes the other.

Salespeople, Depressing Folks Also Deleted

Other reasons we delete Facebook friends include: the person in question tries to sell something, or they tend to upset others with overly depressing comments. Lack of interaction and unfavorable political commentary also factor into these kinds of decisions.

Interestingly, about 6 per cent of friend deletions are the result of people being annoyed by folks who update their profiles too often.

The study also found that men and women use Facebook for different reasons. More men than women see the site as a way to network, meet potential companions, and build their careers, while more women than men tend to use Facebook as a place for acquiring coupons and participating in special promotions. (Source: kplr11.com)