--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The reality of social networking sites is…" description: "\"“The reality of social networking sites is that they provide platforms for online personae to interact with other online personae. Importantly, such re..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/marilyn-yalom-44348_friendship_the-reality-of-social-networking-sites-i_1561955.jpg" --- # The reality of social networking sites is that they… ![“The reality of social networking sites is that they provide platforms for online personae to interact with other online personae. Importantly, such relationships can be ended with a click of an 'unfriend,' 'unfollow,' or 'block' button. Breaking up like this constitutes a morally lightweight…” quote by Marilyn Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/marilyn-yalom-44348_friendship_the-reality-of-social-networking-sites-i_1561955.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/marilyn-yalom-44348_friendship_the-reality-of-social-networking-sites-i_1561955.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6da/marilyn-yalom-44348_friendship_the-reality-of-social-networking-sites-i_1561955.jpg) > ““The reality of social networking sites is that they provide platforms for online personae to interact with other online personae. Importantly, such relationships can be ended with a click of an 'unfriend,' 'unfollow,' or 'block' button. Breaking up like this constitutes a morally lightweight action. Certainly it flies in the face of Cicero's advice that a friendship 'should seem to fade away rather than to be stamped out.' The respect that Cicero demanded that we pay to a friendship, even one that has turned sour, did not anticipate the tenuous connection inherent in being a facebook friend.”” [Marilyn Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-yalom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Online relationships are easily terminated with a click, making them morally lightweight compared to traditional friendships that fade gradually. **In simple terms:** Digital friendships end quickly, lacking depth of traditional bonds. Key Takeaway Treat online connections with mindful respect. Themes digital culture friendship ethics technology social media Mood thoughtful critical analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - online dating - social networking - virtual collaborations - friendship maintenance Key Concepts Moral philosophy social psychology media studies Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do we have to digital friends? - How can we foster deeper online relationships? A Different Perspective Click‑based endings may erode genuine commitment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Social networking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-networking/) [Twitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twitter/) ## Related quotes > [God has no Phone, but I talk to him. Has no Facebook, but He is still my friend. He does not have a Twitter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-has-no-phone-but-i-talk-to-him-has-no-facebook-but-he-is-still-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God has no phone,but I talk to him. He's not on facebook,but he's still my friend. He's not on twitter,but I still follow him!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simi-ngr/god-has-no-phone-but-i-talk-to-him-he-s-not-on-facebook-but-he-s/) [Simi Ngr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simi-ngr/) > [There is a big difference between friend and Facebook friend!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-a-big-difference-between-friend-and-facebook-friend/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not on any social media. I know people who have met on Twitter and through Facebook. I had a friend, someone liked her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristin-milioti/i-m-not-on-any-social-media-i-know-people-who-have-met-on-twitter-and/) [Cristin Milioti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristin-milioti/) > [We can't pretend that a Facebook friend is the same as a real friend you've shared times with together, both good times and difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-coles/we-can-t-pretend-that-a-facebook-friend-is-the-same-as-a-real-friend/) [Joanna Coles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-coles/) > [Facebook is not your friend, it is a surveillance engine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/facebook-is-not-your-friend-it-is-a-surveillance-engine/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Facebook is my friend. YouTube is my voice. Google is my brain. Twitter is my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/facebook-is-my-friend-youtube-is-my-voice-google-is-my-brain-twitter/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Dear Facebook friend suggestion, yeah I know him, but I fucking hate him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-facebook-friend-suggestion-yeah-i-know-him-but-i-fucking-hate-him/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Facebook mistreats its users. Facebook is not your friend; it is a surveillance engine. For instance, if you browse the Web and you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/facebook-mistreats-its-users-facebook-is-not-your-friend-it-is-a/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Watch out for people who you call your facebook friend,because the realer you are the faker they appear..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenchqueen/watch-out-for-people-who-you-call-your-facebook-friend-because-the/) Frenchqueen > [Â¥ God has no iPhone , but I talk to him. He has no Facebook, but he is still my friend. He does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/god-has-no-iphone-but-i-talk-to-him-he-has-no-facebook-but-he-is/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I like to have met someone in real life before being their Facebook friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-christakis/i-like-to-have-met-someone-in-real-life-before-being-their-facebook/) [Nicholas A. Christakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-christakis/) > [God has no cell phone but, I still talk to Him... no Facebook, but He is still my friend. He does not have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-kleha/god-has-no-cell-phone-but-i-still-talk-to-him-no-facebook-but-he-is/) Wendy Kleha > [God has no phone but I talk to him, He has no facebook but he is still my friend, He does not have Twitter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-has-no-phone-but-i-talk-to-him-he-has-no-facebook-but-he-is-still/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you don't have a crazy facebook friend, you are the crazy facebook friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-kimmel/if-you-don-t-have-a-crazy-facebook-friend-you-are-the-crazy-facebook/) [Jimmy Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-kimmel/) ## More by Marilyn Yalom > [In France, you have 900 years of romantic love going back to the troubadours and minstrels that wrote stories of Lancelot and Guinevere. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-yalom/in-france-you-have-900-years-of-romantic-love-going-back-to-the/) [Marilyn Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-yalom/) > [“Friendship matters, especially in old age, when death reduces the number of one's friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-yalom/friendship-matters-especially-in-old-age-when-death-reduces-the/) [Marilyn Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-yalom/) > [I think people are more likely to think it's better to find something new. That mentality has affected all of our thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-yalom/i-think-people-are-more-likely-to-think-it-s-better-to-find-something/) [Marilyn Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-yalom/) > [How many times have I heard in France of women who have been married for many years and the husband has had mistresses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-yalom/how-many-times-have-i-heard-in-france-of-women-who-have-been-married/) [Marilyn Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-yalom/) > [There is a belief that love has its own justification, that it should be experienced as passionately as possible. The French have a wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-yalom/there-is-a-belief-that-love-has-its-own-justification-that-it-should/) [Marilyn Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-yalom/) > [For a French person, lack of desire in someone is really seen as a defect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-yalom/for-a-french-person-lack-of-desire-in-someone-is-really-seen-as-a/) [Marilyn Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-yalom/) > [“Our history suggests that women will continue to show the world how to be friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-yalom/our-history-suggests-that-women-will-continue-to-show-the-world-how/) [Marilyn Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-yalom/) > [We live in a society where we don't want to commit to another person for life. We do at the moment that we marry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-yalom/we-live-in-a-society-where-we-don-t-want-to-commit-to-another-person/) [Marilyn Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-yalom/) [Explore all 9 Marilyn Yalom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-yalom/) ## More Friendship quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never believed in trying to do anything. Whatever I set out to do I found I had already accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/i-never-believed-in-trying-to-do-anything-whatever-i-set-out-to-do-i/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/) Maureen Andeson > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Friends are like stars you can't always see them, but you know they're there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknwon/friends-are-like-stars-you-can-t-always-see-them-but-you-know-they-re/) Unknwon > [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/) [Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/) > [If you love some one for who they are not for there body or how many friend so when you say I love you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/if-you-love-some-one-for-who-they-are-not-for-there-body-or-how-many/) Unknow > [“But my best friend from college was silent for a long time. She, of all of my friends, had seen the parade of sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-my-best-friend-from-college-was-silent-for-a-long-time-she-of-all/) [Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/) > [You smile upon your friend to-day, To-day his ills are over; You hearken to the lover's say, And happy is the lover. 'Tis late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-smile-upon-your-friend-to-day-to-day-his-ills-are-over-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“way. A true friend isn't the one that agrees with everything you say or do. A true friend is someone that has your back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shameek-speight/way-a-true-friend-isn-t-the-one-that-agrees-with-everything-you-say/) [Shameek Speight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shameek-speight/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Kings don’t move mountains as a favor to a friend,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/kings-don-t-move-mountains-as-a-favor-to-a-friend/) [Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/) > [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [“The real purpose of friendship was to discover and exploit weakness in others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-thompson/the-real-purpose-of-friendship-was-to-discover-and-exploit-weakness/) [Brian Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-thompson/) [Browse all 45,469 Friendship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The reality of social networking sites is that they provide platforms for online personae to interact with other online personae. Importantly, such relationships can be ended with a click of an 'unfriend,' 'unfollow,' or 'block' button. Breaking up like this constitutes a morally lightweight action. Certainly it flies in the face of Cicero's advice that a friendship 'should seem to fade away rather than to be stamped out.' 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