How many friends do you have on social media? Two hundred? Five hundred? Two thousand? Perhaps five thousand, if you’ve been particularly ambitious—or indiscriminate. But here’s the more telling question: how many of those friends do you actually have lunch with? How many do you speak to on the phone? How many would show up with a casserole if you were sick, or help you move when the lease runs out?

The uncomfortable truth is that many of our “friends” are little more than numbers, accepted to inflate our likes and pad our digital egos. And when rude behavior surfaces online—posts stolen, privacy ignored, negativity broadcast—we often have ourselves to blame. We’ve prized quantity over quality, forgetting that friendship, like etiquette, is about substance, not statistics.

I’ve always been picky about social media friendships. Once a month, I scan my list and delete those who are simply there, lurking without connection. It may sound ruthless, but it isn’t. Social media has become a stage for our private lives—family photos, personal milestones, intimate celebrations. Why share them with strangers or opportunists? I’d rather have ten likes from people I trust than a hundred from people I’ll eventually restrict out of suspicion.

Rude Behaviors to Avoid (Peerless Etiquette Edition)

• Wanna-be celebrities: Don’t treat your friends like fans. If you want an audience, create a fan page.

• Post thieves: Reposting without credit is theft, plain and simple. A polite “Re-post” or a share button works wonders.

• TBT embarrassments: Resist the urge to post that photo your friend despises. Nostalgia should not be weaponized.

• Negativity overload: Constantly posting grim news or horrific images will drain your friends—and your friendships.

• Frienemies & copycats: The ones who mimic your every move aren’t friends; they’re competitors in disguise.

• Going live without permission: Recording someone without warning is not spontaneous fun—it’s an invasion.

• Chain mail senders: Threatening messages disguised as “fun” are neither fun nor polite.

• Chronic game requests: If someone has declined ten times, the fiftieth request won’t change their mind.

• Stalker behavior: Liking every post, comment, and photo—or “accidentally” showing up wherever someone checks in—is not devotion. It’s obsession.

The Peerless Etiquette Perspective

Peerless Etiquette reminds us that online behavior is simply an extension of offline manners. Friendship is not about numbers, likes, or digital applause—it’s about respect, trust, and genuine connection. Social media should enhance relationships, not cheapen them.

The next time you scroll through your friend list, ask yourself: Do these people enrich my life, or simply inflate my numbers? Practice Peerless Etiquette by curating your circle with care, avoiding rude behaviors, and treating online friendships with the same respect you’d show at your dinner table.

Because in the end, etiquette—whether digital or face-to-face—is not about rules. It’s about humanity. And humanity, practiced with elegance, is always peerless.