Blocking Or Removing People: A Cold Strategy!

We have all, in one way or another, made use of the ‘Block or Remove Friends’ button on our social networks. Blocking or removing people is sometimes healthy and even necessary. However, this is no longer the case when it becomes a cold strategy to end an affective relationship or friendship. After all, you can make someone disappear in a single  click, and  from a distance in complete silence  . You don’t even have to explain it.

Like it or not, social networks are often a reflection of our real life. In addition, with every ‘like’ and in every word or photo published, a brushstroke of our personality is imprinted. These virtual algorithms are reflections of our essence and behavior. The developers know it and we know it . Therefore,  nothing that happens in these scenarios is purely coincidental.

The phenomenon of ‘unfriending’ is increasingly being studied by psychologists and web designers. ‘Unfriending’ someone means that we choose to remove or block a friend or person from our social network. The reason? The ‘unfollow’ button has been around on Facebook since 2009. Its use has only increased since then. These platforms mimic the same social phenomena that surround us. Plus, they’re changing the way we interact with them.

Let’s see more details below.

Blocking or deleting people is a useful social behavior in some cases

In recent years, the behavior of Facebook or Twitter users has been changing. We could say that we mature in a certain way. At the moment it is no longer appreciated to have many friends . The use that was so common a while ago and in which we have gathered hundreds of friends on social networks is coming to an end  . This is especially seen in people over the age of 30. After all, they want to use their social networks more seriously and professionally.

Therefore,  the strategy of blocking or deleting people is not only sensible, but also necessary in many cases. With this action you avoid classic  spammers . This means we remove users who are annoying or not very close to us. It could also be that they make us feel uncomfortable or that we just don’t love them. We try to separate the wheat from the chaff. Moreover, with this action we get again to the confirmation of what is known as the Dunbar number theory.

This theory was defined by the anthropologist Robin Dunbar in the 1990s. According to him, we cannot have more than 150 significant relationships. In it we can also include those users with whom we communicate regularly (and who enrich us) in social networks. This can be done without knowing them personally.

That is why we are now increasingly given the choice to use filters in these virtual worlds to harmonize our lives. We have already taken a step forward. After all, most of us are looking for the same balance in real life as we do in social networks.

Blocking or Removing People: The Cold Strategy to End Relationships

We already know that we are looking for a reduction in contacts in these cybernetic neighborhoods. That way we want to have the same balance as in real life. This is something that seems positive at first but in fact it is not true. The reason for this is the following: we often  integrate the same actions in real life as we do in the virtual world.

So there is no doubt that people who disagree with a colleague choose to block or remove them from their social networks. Others do the same with their friends. In fact… This dynamic is increasingly happening on an affective level. It’s part of that other phenomenon we   call ghosting . This is a practice where a person leaves their partner without a word of explanation. In addition to the silence, the other person will almost immediately perceive that he no longer appears on social networks or in the contacts of his (ex) partner.

Some people assume that when someone disappears from their virtual world, they will also disappear in everyday life. They may think that the other party will be easily evaded. They also assume that he will understand that action. However, what practices like Ghosting evoke is suffering. The victims are placed in an emotional limbo. It is very difficult for them to shape this loss. They also have a hard time understanding the sudden end.

Blocking people reflects a lack of effective communication in our society

However desperate and immature these behaviors may seem, there is something important to consider. We shouldn’t blame technology. Nor the creators and developers of those social networks we use every day. These virtual scenarios again reflect the difficulty of communication that is so inherent in humans.

Blocking or removing people with one  click  makes our life easier. It’s fast. It is also safe for those who run it. It’s always the best way to avoid having to tell the other person directly that you don’t love them anymore. You don’t have to give him reasons why you don’t care anymore. Also, you don’t have to tell him why you don’t want him in your life anymore.  Humans and their ability to communicate effectively have always had cracks. With technology we create even bigger cracks.

Let’s learn how to deal with our problems personally. Because after all, the erase button of our mobile devices doesn’t resolve most of life’s conflicts.