To understand this relationship, one must first distinguish between the two actions. Unfriending is a relatively surgical procedure. When you unfriend someone, you remove them from your friends list. They are no longer able to see your posts restricted to “Friends,” and you will no longer see theirs. However, unfriending is not necessarily mutual; the other person may remain unaware unless they check their friends list. Crucially, unfriending does not prevent future interaction. The unfriended person can still search for you, send you a friend request, message you (depending on privacy settings), and see your public content. In essence, unfriending closes a door but leaves the pathway open for reconnection or indirect observation.