I know what you’re thinking. “Internet friends aren’t real friends, they’re probably just old perverts, it’s not safe to make friends online.” Quite honestly, I’m sick of hearing it. For I myself have friends that I have met online, and they are there for me more often than my real life friends.
They’re more understanding, and less judgmental. They won’t dislike you for your weight or your looks. They get to meet the person inside first. They meet your personality rather your exterior appearance. I think that’s a major issue in today’s society: People are so quick to judge others just by their appearance, or rumors they’ve heard. So many adolescents hate going to school because they hate being so alone, and having everyone around them ignoring them, or are talking about them. It gets tiring. But when they get home, they open up their laptop and go on that one website and talk to their online friends. Maybe even video chat with them for hours on end. Internet friends are real friends.
Technology has come to the point that online friendships, and even relationships, can be possible. With all the social media websites, FaceTime and Skype and Google Hangout, etc., it is very possible for these friendship to work out. Obviously, there are some pros and cons to having internet friends.
The worst thing about friendships online is most likely the fact that there’s a small possibility that they will meet each other, especially if they live in different countries. I know how painful that is, for I have friends that live over in Europe, and I know we’ll probably never meet. It kills me to know that, but I’m learning to accept it. Though i still have hope that someday we will meet.
Another con is if one or the other passes, the other wouldn’t have any idea, unless one of their friends or family members tell them. That won’t always happen, though.
The last con would be fearing that they wouldn’t be friends anymore by the time they’re able to meet, or something of that sort. It actually really sad. A few months back, I had an Australian friend. I was hoping someday soon we would meet. Our friendship didn’t last, and i haven’t spoken to her since early December.
Of course, there are plenty of good things about having internet friends. I think that the best thing about online friends is that when you don’t have anybody to comfort you, or anybody that cares, you have no one’s shoulder to cry on, they’ll be there. Sure, they’re not able to physically with you, but they can still wipe away your tears. They’ll be there when no one else is. They’ll try their hardest to make you feel better, to make you laugh, and you’ll do the same for them. Also, they can joke around with each other, say cute things to each other, call or text each other whenever, stay up all night while Skyping each other, and so on and so forth.
Lastly, it feels like an actual friendship. They can tell each other anything. They can be extremely close, and if they ever meet, it will feel like they’ve known each other all their lives. Some people even plan on moving in with each other someday. To tell you the truth, I’m one of those people. My friend that lives in New York is graduating in two years, and she plans on moving to Michigan. After I graduate, we will move in together. I truly believe that we will still be friends by that time. I also am currently in a relationship with a girl that I’ve been friends with for a few months now, who is absolutely amazing, might i add. She lives in Ireland. Although there’s a major time difference, we still manage to FaceTime almost every single day, and we text each other everyday, almost none stop. So, I know from experience, that internet friendships and relationships are able to work out, as long as both people put effort into it and take it seriously. Just like any other friendship or relationship. These just need a bit more effort due to not being able to see each other in person, and time differences and such.
Internet friends are really not too different from real life friends. They can be just as close to each other as real life friends. Just as caring, just as loving, just as amazing as friends in real life, if not more. The next time you decide to judge someone for having online friends, think about this. Just because two people haven’t met in person, does not mean that they can not have a friendship. Some people aren’t as fortunate as others. There are more that seven billion people on this planet, not all people’s friends will live near them. A friendship is a special bond between two people who share the same interests and get along. Nobody should not be looked down upon for having friends they’ve never met in person. I just wish more people realized that.
