Noticed a drop in your Facebook friend count lately? A new study suggests the most common reason why people feel compelled to drop into your profile and hit the 'unfriend' tab.
Unsurprisingly politics have a major part to play in why people are likely to lower their friend count.
A study published in the Journal of Communication by researchers at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University, called "I Don't Like You Anymore," (ouch) surveyed Jewish-Israeli users after the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict cease-fire. They found that half of participants were more active online during this time - and that 16% unfriended someone for their political views.
“By unfriending we are further contributing to the formation of echo chambers and filter bubbles,” Nicholas John of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem told PsyPost. “More than that, these findings suggest that the people most likely to unfriend are younger, more politically active, more active on Facebook, have lots of Facebook friends, and have more extreme political views—these are important people in online discussions."
In short: the more you post about politics, the more likely you are to unfriend and be unfriended by people who share your views.