If you’ve been thinking about deleting some friends on your social media accounts, you’re not alone. Are you afraid that the people you delete will notice or that you might offend someone? Scratching someone off your friends list may seem like a big deal, but it doesn’t have to be. If you've got good intentions, it might be the fresh slate you've been looking for.

We’ll look at how cutting down and deleting some friends on your social media could have a positive effect on your life overall.

Why You Should Purge Some of Your Friends On Social Media

There is a general rule that applies to clothes: if you haven't worn something for over a year, chances are that it's time for it to go. While the same can't be applied to your friends on social networks, it does offer some food for thought.

When you look through your friends on social media, do you ever ask yourself if you really need them all in your friends list? If you've got people in your list who you haven't connected with in years, it might be time to do something about it. Before you do it though, think about whether your action will make a difference in your life or in their lives if you deleted them.

Positive Effects of Cutting Down Social Media Friend Lists

If you still need some convincing to trim down your friends list on social media platforms, here's a look at some of the benefits.

1. A More Meaningful Scrolling Experience

Clearing out some connections will free up your news feed so that you can connect with people who are important to you.

It will also give you a more rewarding experience when you scroll through your social media feeds because you will see what you want to see. It might also encourage you to do some productive activities on your phone instead of mindlessly scrolling.

2. It Could Make Way For New Friends

Some people have over five hundred friends on Facebook. The likelihood of connecting with all of them is low. Most people only connect on a regular basis with people who are in their immediate social circle. Many connect only with family members, colleagues, and acquaintances.

If you met someone on a train on your European holiday, and you exchanged details but never connected again, you probably won't connect in the near future. By deleting "friends" who are not in your life, you'll free up mental space for people who are in your life already. You'll also make way for potential friendships with people who share the same values and interests.

3. By Choosing Quality Over Quantity, Your Connections May Deepen

We all live busy lives and there is only so much time and space in them to forge meaningful connections. As the old saying goes, "less is more" and that can also be applied to friendships on social media. As soon as you shrink your online friendship circle, you'll likely notice that your interactions with people change.

By focusing on creating quality connections in your life, you'll start to focus less on quantity. You may find yourself connecting with the same people more regularly, and your interactions with those particular people may even deepen.

4. By Creating Boundaries Online, You'll Have More Space for Yourself

When you delete a handful of friends who are no longer in your life, you're allowing yourself more space. If you don't necessarily want to delete someone, but you want to see what it's like to take a break from them, there are ways to take a break from being friends with someone on Facebook. And that is more than okay!

You're in control of your social media accounts and by choosing who and what you want to see, you're creating a healthy boundary between yourself and the online world.

5. You'll Make Yourself Less Accessible

Just because you have a social media account, doesn't mean that it's an open invitation for people to contact you. If you're online on social platforms, depending on your settings, others may be able to see that you are active. They may start talking to you when you don't want to talk.

You could find yourself in a situation where a person you barely know (from your friends list) reaches out to you and starts chatting, and you're compelled to reply so that you don't appear rude. By cutting down on people in your friends list, those with whom you don't want to connect will no longer be able to contact you.

6. You Could Heal From Past Hurt Quicker

If you're still friends with your ex, and it didn't end well, you might be tempted to look at their profile and the profiles of people who are connected to them. While being curious is a normal human emotion, it may not be a healthy thing for your well-being.

By deleting people who have hurt you and those connected with them, you may find it easier to heal and move on.

7. Your Mood and Lifestyle Could Improve

When you look at your social media feeds, do you sometimes compare yourself to others? If you find yourself doing that, you may be experiencing a case of low-self esteem or a fear of missing out.

When someone you met twice keeps posting things about how they are living their best life, you may end up feeling annoyed. You could also become tempted to compare your unadventurous life with theirs.

Things we see on social media are not always reality. By focusing on living an authentic life, free from social media show-offs, your mood could improve drastically. As a result, you might be excited to do things at your own pace, your way, instead of comparing yourself to others.

8. It Could Help You Cut Down on Screen Time

With our news feeds always full of other people's posts, it's no wonder we're doing a lot of mindless scrolling. Some people spend a better part of their day looking at random posts from friends. While it may be a fun thing to do at the time, it means that a lot of time is wasted.

By cutting down on social media friendships, you'll also put an end to distracting posts. This will help you stay off the screen so that you can do the things that you enjoy.

If You Don't Want To Delete Friends, Unfollow Them

If you're still thinking about deleting certain people from your friends list but haven't quite got around to doing it, you can easily unfollow people. This means that their posts will be hidden from you, and they won't be alerted to the fact that you unfollowed them.