When you spend as much time on Facebook as I do, you're more exposed to some of the biggest pet peeves in social media. There are plenty of things that really "grind my gears" on the giant social network and I'm sure they're the same for most of Facebook's active user base.
By nature, I avoid confrontation and/or awkward situations. This is why I never actually "unfriend" anyone. Instead, I employ the subtle action of "unsubscribing" from people so that they'll never show up in my news feed ever again. Thanks Facebook!
How to unsubscribe from a friend on Facebook
Before we get to some Facebook friend annoyances, you need to learn how to unsubscribe from friends. You may unsubscribe from a friend with these simple steps:
- Hover over the status of the friend you want to remove
- Click the arrow that shows up
- Unsubscribe from that friend
-NOTE: Unsubscribing from status updates still shows every other annoying action from that person. I would unsubscribe from that person fully.
Congratulations! You've just unsubscribed from someone's status updates and the best part is, that person you unsubscribed to has no clue. No more annoying status updates!
Reasons people unsubscribe from you on Facebook
Now that you know how unsubscribing works, here are a few reasons one can lose subscriptions on Facebook:
Life misfortunes and negative tweets
You broke up with your boyfriend? You lost your keys? Somebody cut you off on the highway? The girl at Subway put mayo on your sandwich? Yes, these things are very unfortunate, I agree. But do you really need to post every single one of your misfortunes on Facebook? No one wants to read negative status updates, especially if you constantly post them. Think about things you MUST share instead of making Facebook your number one outlet for venting.
Negative tweets can also deter people. Saying "worst day ever" 4 out of 7 days of the week doesn't help your case at all. Stay positive, champ.
Politics and religion
I personally know nothing about these topics, but whenever I see status updates related to politics or religion, my hand is itching to click unsubscribe. Don't get me wrong, it's great to share an article or two about the election, but when you act as if you're working for the senator 24/7, it's kind of annoying. On the other hand, I personally have no tolerance for status updates regarding religion, but share what you must. Just don't share too much about it as Facebook friends don't really care for it.
Self-promotion
This one is a little tricky for me and at times I feel hypocritical preaching about it. Not only am I awesome to begin with, but I also try my hand at a couple of side projects which I tend to promote on Facebook. However, too much self-promotion about yourself or your business is super annoying. Take a look at your status updates. If most of them use the words I or me or generally have to do with your life and your social plans, you might be tooting the "I love myself" horn. There's nothing wrong with loving yourself, but if you use Facebook to express your love often, you'll lose subscribers fast.
This also goes for too many self-portraits. Try to keep these to a minimum.
Constant profanity and other disturbances
Although it should be common sense, you'd be surprised at how many people use profanity on their Facebook status updates. If you're someone who constantly swears on Facebook, not only will people unsubscribe from you, but they'll also lose respect for you as a person. No one wants be associated with that kind of person on Facebook. Swear on your own time!
Also, please keep your disturbing images to yourself. If you even have to think about whether or not to post it, then it shouldn't be posted.
Overposting and sharing
Quite possibly the number one reason we unsubscribe from someone on Facebook is because he/she posts too much. Your overposting combined with your oversharing is clogging up my news feed. Therefore, I simply have no choice but to unsubscribe from you. Try to keep it to 1-3 daily updates max. Anything higher and you risk the chances of getting unsubscribed to.
Show some consideration and moderation on Facebook if you want people to read your status updates. Follow these tips and you'll keep your subscribers.
What is your biggest Facebook pet peeve?