Could the pendulum finally start swinging the other way when it comes to social network oversharing?
According to a new study from Pew, that may just be the case, at least when it comes to friending and privacy settings. The findings suggest that people are more selective about who and how many contacts they maintain on social networks. According to Pew, compared to 2009 all the major metrics for profile management are up: 63 percent of respondents have deleted people from their “friends” lists (up from 59 percent in 2009). Forty-four percent have deleted other comments made by others on their own profiles, and 37 percent have detagged themselves from photos.
Interestingly, women are slightly more likely to defriend people than men (67 percent female respondents compared to 58 percent of male respondents). Also, younger social network users are more likely to defriend than older users.
Perhaps the most surprising finding is that only 11 percent of respondents said they have posted content they regret. Of course, I bet their friends might rate that a bit higher.
See the full study report here.
More in Media
After newsroom cuts, The Washington Post turns to creator-led video deals
The Washington Post is betting on creator content to open up new revenue and audiences, after newsroom layoffs.
Inside The Daily Mail’s creator-led content playbook
Inside the structure, strategy, and metrics of the Daily Mail’s creator-led content push.
Media Briefing: Overheard at the Digiday Publishing Summit, March 2026 edition
With no sign of search traffic returning, publishers are doubling down on subscriptions to build direct reader revenue — but it’s not easy.