How To Handle Awkward Facebook Drama
#14 Check Mutual Friends
Maybe you don't recognize the person trying to add you but you recognize the mutual friends you have. Who knows, this might be a request from that funny guy in Algebra that you keep forgetting the name of.
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15:
Ask Someone
You have no idea who this person is that's trying to be your friend. They look like they could be familiar but you're just not sure. Ask a roommate, friend or someone nearby if they've ever heard of the person sending the request.
14:
Check Mutual Friends
Maybe you don't recognize the person trying to add you but you recognize the mutual friends you have. Who knows, this might be a request from that funny guy in Algebra that you keep forgetting the name of.
13:
Look At Their Profile
See what you can learn about this person through their profile. Maybe you have some things in common or admire some of the same people. They could be interested in the same bands or maybe you have the same hometown. Be careful about who you're willing to trust online but by looking over their profile you may be able to find out if the person is worth adding or not.
12:
Add Then Get To Know Them
Maybe you don't have the closest relationship with the person that's trying to add you. Maybe you had an awkward moment in the past and it kept you from getting to know them better. You could ignore them or you could look at this as a chance to start fresh and get to know this person you know so little about.
11:
Add Then Ask
What's the harm in adding this person? You seem to have a few mutual friends, they don't look like a total creeper and if it turns out that they're crazy, you can just delete them later. Add them and then politely ask them where they know you from.
10:
Ask Then Wait
There's nothing wrong with just being honest. Let the person know you're not sure who they are. Send them a message and ask how you know them then decide from there if you're going to add them or ignore their request.
9:
See Who They Add
The cool (and formerly creepy) thing about Facebook is that you can pretty much always see what everyone is up to on there. Wait a while and see if this person starts adding some of your friends. If your friends accept this person's friend request, send them a message and ask them why, then make your decision from there. It may end up being someone's relative or a friend of a friend.
8:
Don't Respond
It's your Facebook and you choose how to use it. No one said you have to do anything when it comes to responding to requests. I'm sure some of us have unanswered messages and friend requests in our inboxes right now that have been there since 2010 at least.
7:
Ignore And Ask
If you're really not sure who this person is, just ignore the request. For good measure, you could always send them a message asking them who they are and where you know them from. If they can't answer that then end your conversation there.
6:
Consider Adding Them The Second Time
The cool thing about Facebook is that, for the most part, people have to use their real names. It's hard to confuse someone as long as you know their name but something about their profile could have thrown you off. Maybe it was their picture, limited profile information or something about the way their name is spelled but you may have ignored the request of someone you really meant to add. If it turned out to be your awesome new co-worker or that cute neighbor across the hall, just apologize and add them the second time they send the request.
5:
Keep Ignoring Them.
Some people have this idea that if you've ignored their request one time that you'll be sure to accept them if they try again. You may have ignored someone and then a month later, you find them trying to add you again. If you really meant it then make sure to hit the ignore button again!
4:
Warn Them.
Send them a message telling them that you're going to block them if they don't leave you alone. Be clear about it and don't provide more details than you need to. Just lay out the facts and tell them that they'd better leave you alone. If they try to bother you again then follow through with your warning and block them.
3:
Block Them
It's okay to block someone, especially if they can't take a hint. Some people just don't seem to understand that you really don't want to add them to your Facebook and when that happens, the quickest way to deal with them is to block them.
2:
Warn your friends.
Sometimes blocking isn't enough. There are some really crazy people out there and even if you've blocked someone, they may have already started to harass your friends. Post something about the person that has been bothering you so your friends know what they're getting themselves into if they got a request from that person too.
1:
Report and Block Them
In an age of the most advanced technology known to man, people have figured out how to harass each other on a whole new level. When ignoring and directly asking them to stop isn't enough, it's time to report and block them. Make sure that you didn't give out any personal information and that they can't find you or your real-life whereabouts. If you suspect they may already have figured out some personal information, it's time to consider alerting the proper authorities.
