“REMOVEfromfriends.”

Thisisnoordinarybutton.OneclickandIhavethepowertoeraseapersonfrommylife.

InlatefallIhadaround400friendsonFacebook.TodayIhave134.

Click.Makethat133.

WhenFacebookfirstenteredmylifein2005Ipanickedthatmyfriendcountwastoolow.IfIwasn’tproperlyconnectedhowwouldanyoneseemycleverquote(引语)?Whowouldwishmeahappybirthday?Iacceptedandsentoutfriendrequestswithoutasecondthoughtandsoonaccumulated391friends.

Thereisanappealtobeingabletocommunicatewithsomeoneorjust“thumbs(拨动手指)up”aphotoratherthanmakerealconversation.

“It’scomfortingandit’seasy”saidLarryRosenapsychologyprofessoratCaliforniaStateUniversitywhostudiesthewaypeoplecommunicateonline.”There’sasenseofbelonginginit.It’sasenseofcommunityinagenerationwherecommunityhassortof(有点)disappeared.”

HoweverIdon’ttalktohalfofthesepeopleintheonlinecommunity.TherearesomeIwouldavoidifImetthemonthestreet.

Click.132.

Idecidedtoridmyaccountofany“friend”that…wellwasn’t.Soundeasy?Youtryit.

Lookatwhoyou’redealingwith:familyfriendsclassmatescrushes(爱恋的对象)acquaintances…

Witheveryclickofthe“Removefromfriends”buttonyouriskburningabridgelosingacontactandmissinganopportunity.SoeverytimeIgotoclickthebuttonmyhearthurts.

HoweverI’mnottheonlyonewhohasexperiencedaFaceboookfriendrefreshing.TheNewOxfordAmericanDictionaryannouncesits“WordoftheYear”eachyearandlastyear“unfriend”madethecut(入围)(thoughI’llstillstickwith“defriend”).

WhenIstartedmymission(任务)afewfriendsjoined.Mostweresurprisedbyhoweasilytheycouldcuthundredsofconnectionswithoutthinkingtwice.

“OhmyGodIdefriendedlike600peopletoday.Ifeelsogood!”myfriendSarahmessaged.

DanaaclosefriendfromhighschoolandIbattleditouttoseewhocouldgetourcountslower.Shewinsat123.

Tosomeit’spoor“netiquette(网络礼仪)”todefriend.Buttomeit’sthestageoflifewhenweholdontothepeoplewhocountthepeoplewhoimpactyou.

63.Accordingtothearticlewhathappenswhenyouclickthe“Remo