DEAR MISS MANNERS: I finally signed up with a popular social media site at the request of my two sisters, one who lives abroad and the other one 1,500 miles away. They both wanted to be updated on my family and daughter's events.
However, due to my busy schedule, I want to limit the number of my "friends" on social media to 10 people, mostly very close family and friends of my daughter.
I have received a friend request from a person I carpool to work with. I do not want to increase my social media friends list. Should I accept the invite, even if it means having 11 friends? Or what is a polite way to decline?
GENTLE READER: Most social media sites save users the trouble of figuring out how politely to say "I don't want to be your friend" by allowing them to decline without actually informing the person making the request. Miss Manners does not agree with this implementation; she does agree that you are not bound to engage in unwelcome social interactions.