I just got a friend request from someone in my online class, and I’m not sure how to feel about it. I’m a full-time student, and two of my three classes are held online. In my psychology class, we have weekly discussion posts where we share our thoughts on the topic and respond to two classmates. Most replies are pretty standard, with comments like “I liked your point about…” or “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
When I saw the friend request on Facebook, the name seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place it. After checking their profile, I realized we both attend the same college and they’re in my class—I’m guessing they recognized my name from the discussions. Is it normal to get friend requests from classmates you’ve barely interacted with? It feels a bit odd since they must have specifically looked me up since we have no mutual friends. I don’t want to be rude, but I’m hesitating to accept. Should I just ignore the request?
It’s completely understandable to feel thrown off by a friend request from someone you don’t know well. In online classes, interactions can sometimes feel surface-level, especially with the basic responses we often see in discussion posts. It’s not uncommon for students to reach out to classmates in hopes of building connections, but the approach can sometimes feel a bit awkward.
If you’re not comfortable accepting the request, it’s perfectly fine to just ignore it. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your decision. Alternatively, if you’re open to the idea of expanding your network, you could accept the request and maybe start a conversation to see if you click as friends. It all depends on your comfort level and preferences when it comes to online connections. Just do what feels right for you!