Spring is rapidly approaching and I’ve once again become aware of the clutter in my bedroom caused by a few years worth of classes. I’ve held onto this tendency to save things because, “What if I need them again?” or “I’ll definitely read that again!” or even “I liked that reading assignment!” Honestly, none of those things actually happened. Even the books I thought I’d like to read again have just collected dust wherever I stored and consequently forgot them.
But this is the Digital Age. Computer recycle bins need to be filled and then emptied. This semester, however, brings another digital chore, both for me and countless other soon-to-be graduates.
It’s spring cleaning season for the undergraduate’s Facebook.
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a situation where you hash out your friend’s list and realize how much you hate the vast majority of them. It’s not that at all.
What it is, however, is an opportunity to organize and tidy things up a bit. Not many people need over 400 Facebook friends. Hell, not many people will be able to have meaningful conversation with 400 people. And especially not when a majority of them are from college and/or people you only had one class with, or one interaction with.
Facebook after college should be reserved for your tight-knit group. It should be the people you consistently hung out with, along with people that you still talk to from high school and of course, your family members (especially now that you’re in college and don’t have to worry about hiding your drunken debauchery-filled photos).
As soon as I graduate, Facebook spring cleaning will be my first order of business. I know off the top of my head at least 30 people who are safe from “unfriending,” and some of those are family members. My friend-removal isn’t meant to be mean, but it is meant to narrow my friend’s list down to a manageable number and a number of only people I care about.
I already know of friends who plan on doing the exact same thing. Some are excited to remove as many people as possible, others are just aware that they can’t possibly be more-than-acquaintances with everyone they’re friends with, and others are thinking about who they will allow to watch them grow old.
Here are some guidelines to help you weed through your overflowing friend’s list following graduation. If someone matches more than one of these, they’re a prime candidate for unfriending.
Via: http://thoughtsinflight.typepad.com/
1. Let’s consider the obvious. If the friend in question has only been in one or two of your classes, was in a group project (that you only met as a group once for) or a fellow co-worker that you met during your two week stint at Publix, then they are worthy of ditching. It’s okay, chances are they don’t remember you anyways.
2. If you find yourself groaning (either physically or mentally) whenever they post a ridiculous status, have found that you already blocked them from showing up on your newsfeed or can’t afford to witness one more “check out my fresh new kicks and validate my coolness” post, then they also deserve an “unfriend.”
3. There’s a special category of Facebook friends, the one that includes the vast amount of people who you don’t even bother to throw a digital happy birthday to. If you were to find yourself strolling through Oaks Mall and cross paths with this person, would you stop and say hi? No? Then you can consider worthy of the cleanse.
Via: myclutterbox.com
Spring cleaning is a chance to get everything in order: your room, your computer, your life and your friends. I, for one, am very anxious to really look at my friend’s list and narrow things down a bit. Graduation is a whole new start, and I don’t know if I feel comfortable bringing over 300 Facebook stragglers with me into the next stage of my life.
Featured photo courtesy of: CNET
