Facebook has become a wonderful tool for global social interaction without actually having to interact. We can check the local weather from friends posting on their drive to work, get the most recent viral videos about crazy cats or dancing old ladies and of course endless online game requests. It clearly is the next stage in our evolutionary development.

There are also key indicators and behavior that give us a better understanding of the types of friends we interact with and there are some “friends” you want to avoid.

Here are a few clear signs of Facebook friends you want to avoid in “real” life.

• The friend that does daily affirmation posts about what they are thankful for. This is a very strong indicator of low self-esteem and an individual yearning for acceptance, even in a virtual community.
• The constant self portrait taker. First, this person has a lot of time to themselves. That could be a big red flag and they continuously post pictures of themselves in the mirror, car, beach or sitting at home. If they need to be their own personal paparazzi for attention, this is an indicator of someone that needs attention constantly.
• The Constant Game Requester – Just plain annoying. We went through the Atari, Gameboy, Playstation, Xbox and Wii addiction already. It is old and boring.
• The Foodie – If you feel the obsessive need to take a picture of every meal and describe every ingredient, start a food blog unless you are too lazy to actually put effort into writing.
• The Check-In Person – The one who checks in to every place they go including but not limited to laundry mats, bakeries, restaurants, work, bus stops, beach, bathrooms, rest stops, airports and grocery stores.  Is there a reason we need to know everywhere you go on a given day?  Does this make your life more important than ours?  Inquiring minds want to know.
• The “What is everyone doing today” Person – Yes, there are those that have 1000 Facebook friends but need to reach out to everyone to find someone to have brunch with or hang out with.  This could be a big blinking light of “panic”.
• The Political Activist – Political activism is a good thing.  It is a healthy part of our democratic process.  Facebook gives us the option to write quick and candid posts without thinking through the logic and consequences of the comment.  Sometimes a little too radical can go a long way in the wrong direction.
• The Bad Mouther – The person that takes every little wrong in life and blames someone publicly on Facebook and typically with a rated “R” dialogue.  That doesn’t need much more explanation.
• The Facebook Stalker – They are a little harder to detect, but they are constantly checking your status updates.  A few signs you have a Facebook are are 1.  They comment or “like” on most of your posts, 2. Show up randomly at places you have checked into or 3. They start liking things you like on Facebook or adding friends that you are friends with.
• Pet Profile – This is the person that creates a profile for their pet cat, dog, hamster, gerbil or other little furry creature.  Some give them human characteristics and some disguise it as their own profile to avoid others knowing about their deviant lifestyle.  Either way, a little weird.

There you have it.

Your personal guide to the people you should avoid on Facebook.

Print it out.

Bookmark it,

Put it in your wallet and use it often as a reference.