Facebook. It’s become the pinnacle of social media.

You go there to solidify new relationships, give/solicit flirtation and sometimes just browse and see what everyone is up to. But what if someone unfriends you?

Well, first and foremost, do you even know when he/she/it unfriended you? It could’ve been weeks for all you know if you aren’t an absolute Facebook stalker or troll.

What follows is an incredibly precarious minefield.

Next, ask yourself, “What type of relationship did we have?” If its was some casual acquaintance, you shouldn’t sweat it at all. I mean, if they were really worth caring about you probably should have gotten a better relationship than “We were Facebook friends.”

Moving up the hierarchy of friendships, we have the person that you want to know better, but never really got the chance. Take a breath, do whatever you do to relax, and just think “Did I do something that warranted this?”

Some people are more fickle than Daisy Buchanan and will take anything as offensive (and this quality crosses the gender lines). And then you have people who are the kind who have skin thicker than elephants’, and if you poke fun at them, they are likely to one-up you to a degree that it might actually embarrass you.

Now, you can be as thorough as you want, but depending on what you find in the “Mental Bureau” of “What you could’ve done wrong,” you may have committed a serious slight. And if that’s the case, I suggest pretending that you aren’t even aware that they unfriended you. And if the outright apology route doesn’t calm their qualms (such as, “I’m really sorry I threw up on your bed the other night), then you may have an issue.

I suggest self-defamation. And you better make ‘em laugh. Otherwise, you know you’re screwed, and if Facebook has such an influence on your life, then I suggest a Lifetime movie and ice cream (this conclusion is drawn from the fact that you probably love melodrama if you care this much about Facebook).

But if you are absolutely set on saving this nuance of a friend, then you do something nice for them or a close friend of theirs that you’re also close with, so they know you mean business.

And I’m not talking about sending them a gift card via Facebook (ironically). Showing you care should cost you time and effort– not money.

At the tip-top of my personal friendship pyramid are the frenemy (friendae enemicus) and the close friend (friendae proxima).

While one is most certainly more valuable than the other, you can pretty much treat them the same way. Both were probably angry from a previous venture, and removing you from Facebook was probably just the final nail in the coffin.

Depending on the time of discovery of your unfriending, the ship may have sailed by now. Dusting yourself off and turning this negative into a postivie is not a bad idea. I mean, you go to SMU – home to some of the most wonderful individuals in America and parts abroad. You should go make friends with someone new and broaden your horizons.

Also, another suggestion, you shouldn’t place so much stock in Facebook – go do something meaningful. Instead of dwelling on these trivial matters, you could solidify the friendships you already have.

Norwood is a sophomore majoring in political science and philosophy.