In a time when our thumbs do more talking than our mouths, unfriending has become a quiet revolution. One click, and someone’s out of your digital world. It’s fast, clean, and, for many, necessary. But what does this trend mean for professions like Veterinary medicine, where connection is not just a value—but a lifeline?
At The Bridge Club, we’re watching this cultural shift unfold in real time. And while unfriending can offer relief, it may also be quietly eroding the empathy and community Veterinary professionals rely on.
The Unfriending Surge
Recent data shows just how widespread this digital distancing has become:
- A University of Chicago study found that 38% of U.S. registered voters have unfriended or stopped following someone because of differing political views.
- Meta’s own analytics reveal that people are interacting far less with actual friends online:
- On Facebook, time spent viewing friends’ posts dropped from 22% in 2023 to 17% in 2025.
- On Instagram, it plummeted from 11% to just 7% during the same period.
That’s not just a shift in usage. It’s a signal: we’re not just disconnecting—we’re curating our worlds to the point of isolation.
From Boundaries to Borders
There’s no doubt that unfriending can be a powerful form of self-care. In Veterinary medicine—where compassion fatigue, burnout, and emotional exhaustion are already running high—the idea of protecting our mental space is sacred. Sometimes, removing digital clutter is the exact boundary we need to reclaim peace.
But when we apply the unfriending mindset too broadly—shutting down opposing views, muting people who challenge us, or avoiding uncomfortable conversations—it becomes something else entirely: division.
And in Veterinary medicine, where trust, teamwork, and transparency are everything, that kind of divide can fracture more than your feed.
This is where The Bridge Club comes in.
We don’t shy away from hard conversations—we create space for them. Whether it’s talking about professional burnout, the technician pipeline, or conflicting perspectives on the future of the field, we believe in leaning in when it would be easier to log off.
Unfriending has its place. But so does thoughtful reconnection.
What Veterinary Medicine Needs Now
Let’s rethink the way we engage with one another:
- Set boundaries with care, not vengeance. Protecting your peace is valid—but make sure it’s not cutting off growth.
- Use unfollow tools as filters, not fences. Muting can be a useful tool without completely ending a connection.
- Reconnect through community. Whether it’s a Table Talk or a Connection Circle, The Bridge Club offers a place to engage with grace and intention.
- Expand your echo chamber. Follow someone with a different background. Listen to someone outside your specialty. Ask one more question before hitting “unfriend.”
A Final Thought
In an age where algorithms define what we see, and unfriending has become a form of protest, connection might just be the most radical act we have left.
So yes—honor the unfriending trend when it serves your well-being. But remember: in Veterinary medicine, the real healing happens in connection. And the bridge is always there, waiting to be crossed.