For years, the block button has been framed as dramatic, petty, or even cowardly. “Just ignore them,” people say. “Don’t feed the trolls.” But ignoring isn’t always neutral. Sometimes, it’s a form of self-erasure. Sometimes, silence is the cost of peace—and that’s too high a price.
✅Blocking isn’t about "doing too much". It’s about curation.
✅Ignoring isn’t enough, you need Peacekeeping; blocking removes people from bothering you entirely. Revoke access from those who have shown they cannot be engaged with.
🌱 Your Feed Is Your Garden
Think of your online space as a garden. You choose what to plant, what to prune, and what to protect. The block button is your fence. It doesn’t mean you hate the weeds—it means you’re choosing what gets sunlight in your world.
🧭 Boundaries Are Not Bridges
Not every interaction deserves a second chance. Not every comment needs a reply. The myth of “open dialogue” often ignores power dynamics, emotional labor, and the exhaustion of being perpetually available. Blocking is a way of saying: “I choose not to carry this.”
💬 Final Thought: You’re Not Overreacting
You deserve to have better spaces online. Your spaces offline, is your own to carry as it is. Imagine coming online to have a goal to network with friendly individuals, to seek out connections--that are not only mutual but are lifelong.
This is the era of using the internet, or so this is how it first started for me.
But not everyone will want their best interests out for you. Some people come online, to harass also known as troll, because they are miserable behind the screen have nothing better else to do.
There are also some individuals, whom are not trolls but do not have a sense of self. So, they project themselves onto others.
🚪 Blocking One-Sided Friendships: When Goodbye Is a Gift
While I strongly support mental health spaces, it's important to hold others accountable when they use their mental health as an excuse for not showing you respect.
Sometimes people go online seeking connection, but they might not put in the effort to build a true friendship. If you're empathetic, you may end up giving more than you receive in return. Remember, any bond should grow naturally, like rain nurturing the earth to bloom flowers.
Don't let anyone convince you that you're a terrible person just because you've outgrown spaces that weren't mutual. Sadly, some people never move beyond their own struggles and selfishly seek comfort and validation online—And just that. At that rate you are not connected as comrades, but as a sounding board.
The signs? You know it’s happening when you share pieces of yourself, but they respond with dry replies. You’ve shown genuine interest and poured your energy into what they care about. What you do for them is also rendered invalid, as they continue to behave as if they do not have any friends.
I call this behavior, emotionally unavailable.
When someone seeks a connection but doesn’t put in the effort to maintain it, they often gaslight you, turning things around to make it about themselves when you address their behavior. A memorable line I’ve heard is, "I’m just depressed and burned out, sorry." They always seem full of energy when they need you as a friend, but when it's your turn to lean on them and you think it's safe to open up, they leave you feeling utterly drained from lack of their own energy.
You do not have to give your time to those kinds of people.
❓What is the exception?
Friendship is a rhythm, where it flows back and forth. It is a wonderful thing to convey your thoughts and share your deepest vents with another.
But only if this is a two-way street. If you can compromise with your friend, it shows you're building a stronger bond than where you started. As long as both people are willing to truly communicate—whether through typing on a keyboard, making a call, or meeting in person—where there's a will, there's a way!
However, if maintaining that growth starts feeling like a chore, it might lead to exhaustion. An example of that, is when it starts to feel like you are trying to prove that you are there for someone—just for them to push you away over, and over. At this rate, you are chasing for their connection.
Only you know what’s best for your own well-being and personal space.
Final thoughts:
I wrote this journal entry because I've noticed people getting caught up in interacting with others they don't need to.