Facebook (News - Alert), one of the most popular social networking sites, gives users the ability to receive ‘Friend Requests.’ These request allow that user accept or deny someone as a friend. There are many reasons Facebook users decide to friend or unfriend someone on the social network.  

NM Incite determined that on average, a Facebook user has around 130 people listed as their friends. The survey determined that users only know around 82 percent of their friends in real life. The other reasons for friending someone are: 60 percent for mutual friends, 11 percent for business networks, 8 percent for physical attractiveness, 4 percent for increasing ones friend count, and even the quality of someone’s photo, 7 percent admitted to that can all get you added to someone’s friend list.

The study revealed that the number one reason someone might get taken off the friend list was due to offensive comments. More than 55 percent of Facebook users said they would de-friend someone if they were writing or posting on their profile inappropriate comments.

About 41 percent said they would remove someone if they friended them in the past and then realized they actually don’t know that person. Other reasons to be deleted from someone’s friend list: lacking interaction, political comments, depressing comments, and breakup/divorce all made the list.

The survey also revealed that men and women generally have different activities on the site. Women seem to use Facebook as a more creative outlet, a source of coupons and promos, and a way to give products or services feedback. Men, on the other hand, use the social network to connect with business contacts, to find a job, or to find a new romantic interest.

Emil Protalinski, writer for ZDnet, said the research says it all. “In short the research shows real world interactions drive online friendships while sales-oriented and depressing comments help drive friend removals,” said Protalinski.

If you are wondering whether or not you have been recently defriended, a new application called Defriend Alert can be found in the applications section of Facebook and once connected with your account, will send you an email message notifiying you of any friend changes.