Word of the Year: Unfriend

A few weeks ago, I read about how being unfriended on social networking sites can bruise your digital ego. I laughed, but had to admit the complexities of social networking friendships. I personally refuse to friend anyone on Facebook that I haven't actually met in person, but I've still had my share of internal debates over confirming "friendships" with people I have met. Is it okay to accept friend requests from campers I counseled at summer day camps that want to keep in touch? Professors I currently have for classes? High school classmates I know for a fact loathed me, but are curious enough to want to keep tabs on me?

That last example was the first dilemma I faced, way back freshman year when I was a Facebook newbie. My boyfriend at the time convinced me to accept the "friendship," telling me, "You can't not friend someone on Facebook. It's rude." I conceded and gave in.

While I've faced various friending dilemmas since then, it's gotten easier for two reasons. First, Facebook's privacy settings are a lifesaver, allowing me to limit what certain friends can see. Secondly, I've taken down all questionable photos, making sure that everything on my profile would be acceptable for a potential employer to see. When my aunt recently joined Facebook and friended me, I had a mini heart attack -- until I remembered I don't have anything to hide. If it's okay for a potential employer to see, it's okay for my aunt. (Admittedly, I dread the day my mom joins Facebook. I rather like that she can't keep such close tabs on me at the moment.)

Since Facebook friendships are much more tenuous than real friendships, they sometimes come to a rather abrupt end. A roommate of mine recently unfriended someone simply because she kept stealing points from her on Food Friendzy, a Facebook application that awards you coupons to local food places. While Hannah felt perfectly justified in defending her Food Friendzy points, she did feel a twinge of guilt over the stigma of unfriending someone.

Apparently Hannah and I are not alone in our friending dilemmas. The New Oxford American Dictionary has selected "unfriend" as its word of the year.