To Friend or Not To Friend

For the majority of us, Facebook has become as integral a habit as brushing our teeth. Some people even find it necessary to post a status detailing that they are in fact, brushing their teeth. I personally take the middle ground approach when it comes to revealing information and photos of myself. I have nothing to hide, after all.

In the early days of Facebook, it was perfectly acceptable to Friend Request a stranger or Poke the cute guy in class. That time has passed, and now Facebook Etiquette is like a whole new set of Commandments.

Say you meet someone at a bar. A friend of a friend. This person is attractive but you didn't really talk. Creepy to Friend them? Probably.

Say you meet someone at a bar. A friend of a friend. You talked all night. Creepy to friend them? Probably not. Desperate? Could be.

I bring up the ever-present issue of Facebook after my friend was telling me about a new boy she met while studying abroad. He is friends with some of her good friends, and she thinks he's incredibly hot. She invited him to an after party of sorts at her apartment, and he accepted. Only to disappear a few minutes later. She saw him a couple days later and he invited her out with him and his friends, but he had gone by the time she got ready. She heard through their mutual friend he might be interested. So should she take the plunge and Friend him? Or try to remain aloof?

The Friend Request is such a simple action but can mean so many things. If you friend too soon, you may appear desperate. But if you wait too long, the person you Friend may have forgotten about you or find it strange that you waited so long. Writing on someone's wall opens up a whole new can of worms, so I will save those thoughts for a rainy day. But the same principles apply. Facebook must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Just like in the real world, virtual friendships are simply not black and white.