Online friends.

[jonas89]

Okay so this is what have been on my mind for a little while and have been giving it a small observation.

Do online friends really matter that you have never meet in person, I mean I have a really hard time putting this out in right words but I hope some of you understand.
I have gained a few friends recently on F.B. ( people that are not from my own country ) and I talk to them like I have known them for years and share personal information, I have never had friends like these before and I really don't know how to settle down my feelings. I really do care about the conversation and everything that goes through.
The thing that is bugging me is that I really care about them like they are people that I meet everyday and see them like that, but where do I stand in their eyes ?? of course the best way is to ask them directly, but I find it awkward/uncomfortable.

So what I'm really trying to say is that I see those people as my friends though I have never seen them.
So I hope you can help me out. How to you see your online friends ?? would you like to meet them in person ??
Personally I would.

 

[MrJones]

My online friends are my friends. For me, they matter a lot to me, I care about them and I like to spend my time with them, even if I can't see them. It may be weird for someone who doesn't have such relationships, I understand it, but it's what I like. I love it hahaha

And yes, I would like to meet them one day

 

[jonas89]

My online friends are my friends. For me, they matter a lot to me, I care about them and I like to spend my time with them, even if I can't see them. It may be weird for someone who doesn't have such relationships, I understand it, but it's what I like. I love it hahaha

And yes, I would like to meet them one day

Thanks for your input MrJones it helps a lot, I find having this kind friendship really nice and I enjoy it, but I find it also hard in a certain way as well.

 

[razzle dazzle rose]

I have a couple of online friends as well. I do consider them friends. For some reason or other we have not been able to meet. Some of them I have known for years so I think it may be a bit awkward to meet now.

I am sure they feel as close to you as you feel to them, and that you are important. Some people may not recognize these online friendships as the real thing, they do have limitations. But there are all kinds of friends...and these are online friends, and like you said, some of them do become very close. I wouldn't have been able to meet these people any other way, so I am glad I have, even in this limited way.

 

[Phoenixx]

I appreciate my online friends just as I would if I knew them personally, because they're still friends whether you meet them face to face or not. Of course I'd love to meet them, that'd be great! Sadly, money is always an issue. :/ But someday though, I'd love to meet them.

 

[Agent_Violet]

A friend is someone who will drop everything and try to help you if you're in crisis and someone you would do the same for if they were in crisis. You can do that with an online friend just as well as you can do it in real life...it's just being there for people in whatever capacity you can.
I have people here that if they were seriously in huge trouble, i would purchase my plane ticket and be off to support them...i admit that being able to do that is a luxury not many have. That makes it all the more important that I utilize whatever I have at my disposal to be there if their life is falling apart.
. If they were feeling low I would stay on to talk to them until they felt better even if it meant I'd be terribly tired the next day. It's what a friend does...real life or Internet life...the definition of friend is still the same to me.

 

[Dead_on_Arrival]

I don't think it matters where your friends are from, be it out in the real world or online. Like Agent Violet said, a friend is someone who would drop everything for you. Friends are the people with whom you have some sort of emotional connection, someone you share common interests with and someone you can turn too in times of need knowing they will still be there and not running away.

 

[razzle dazzle rose]

You'd be surprised of how many people you find similar to yourself online. I know a few folks I'd like to have a drink with here and there, regardless what country they're from.

I find it much easier to find friends online I have things in common with than people in real life...but that may be 'cause I spend so much time online than doing real life activities...hmmm...

 

[Necrucifer]

I have some friends I met through gaming online that I consider close to me more than most friends I have made in reality. Some are aquaintences and I play with them from time to time but others I play with daily and wouldnt give it a second thought about meeting them in reality.

 

[MikeyC]

I find it much easier to find friends online I have things in common with than people in real life...but that may be 'cause I spend so much time online than doing real life activities...hmmm...

And also because you're hunting for people with similar interests and issues as yourself, so it's easier to relate to them. Plus the lack of person-to-person communication eliminates the initial awkwardness both of you would feel.

I have online friends (on this very forum, even) that I would love to meet...and there's some friends I've made online who I actually have met. It's good.

 

[Dark_Angel]

A friend is someone who will drop everything and try to help you if you're in crisis and someone you would do the same for if they were in crisis. You can do that with an online friend just as well as you can do it in real life...it's just being there for people in whatever capacity you can.
I have people here that if they were seriously in huge trouble, i would purchase my plane ticket and be off to support them...i admit that being able to do that is a luxury not many have. That makes it all the more important that I utilize whatever I have at my disposal to be there if their life is falling apart.
. If they were feeling low I would stay on to talk to them until they felt better even if it meant I'd be terribly tired the next day. It's what a friend does...real life or Internet life...the definition of friend is still the same to me.

Totally agree with this definition , i think in the same way and this is exactly what friend means to me . but unlucky few ppl are like that the true friends are veryvery rare

 

[RedMonkey]

Online friends or real life friends... they are still my friends. I'm gonna be short. Since... everything i want to say... my friends in SPW have said it...LOLL!!!

 

[pinata]

I think I prefer my online friends to my real life friends. We have more in common. They seem to be drifting away a bit though.. But I love them.

 

[Ravens]

A friend is someone who will drop everything and try to help you if you're in crisis and someone you would do the same for if they were in crisis. You can do that with an online friend just as well as you can do it in real life...it's just being there for people in whatever capacity you can.
I have people here that if they were seriously in huge trouble, i would purchase my plane ticket and be off to support them...i admit that being able to do that is a luxury not many have. That makes it all the more important that I utilize whatever I have at my disposal to be there if their life is falling apart.
. If they were feeling low I would stay on to talk to them until they felt better even if it meant I'd be terribly tired the next day. It's what a friend does...real life or Internet life...the definition of friend is still the same to me.

Well put. When it boils down to it, friendships are about establishing emotional bonds with people, and if you can do that on the internet, it's just as real as those you can meet face to face.
I've been fortunate to make a few online friends and I'd be willing to do whatever I could to help them in times of need, and I know they'd do the same for me. I've met a few of them in real life over the summer and it was great to interact and meet up, so if you get that opportunity too, I'd say go for it

 

[jonas89]

A friend is someone who will drop everything and try to help you if you're in crisis and someone you would do the same for if they were in crisis. You can do that with an online friend just as well as you can do it in real life...it's just being there for people in whatever capacity you can.
I have people here that if they were seriously in huge trouble, i would purchase my plane ticket and be off to support them...i admit that being able to do that is a luxury not many have. That makes it all the more important that I utilize whatever I have at my disposal to be there if their life is falling apart.
. If they were feeling low I would stay on to talk to them until they felt better even if it meant I'd be terribly tired the next day. It's what a friend does...real life or Internet life...the definition of friend is still the same to me.

I totally agree with this, It's just that this is new to me and I never thought it would be possibly to have a friendship that matters with someone tho the only thing you have is a picture to rely on.

 

[Blabla..]

I totally agree with this, It's just that this is new to me and I never thought it would be possibly to have a friendship that matters with someone tho the only thing you have is a picture to rely on.

it's like reading a book , you have no images but sometime the immersion is better than a movie

what i mean is that it doesn't matter which way you interact with people , it's the same thing for me even without seeing them physically and speaking words , my mind takes care of visualizing and imagining ,

 

[jonas89]

it's like reading a book , you have no images but sometime the immersion is better than a movie

what i mean is that it doesn't matter which way you interact with people , it's the same thing for me even without seeing them physically and speaking words , my mind takes care of visualizing and imagining ,

very wise words

 

[Sartana]

I don't think it matters too much if you've never met them in person. Most of the online friends that I have I've known for 8-10 years now. Most of them are in the US and given my age + being a student I've never been able to afford to meet them, but if I went to the state they lived in we'd meet up. I've met up with people that I initially started talking to on the internet that live in the same country with me and it was always a good time past the initial hour of awkwardness.

We collaborate on films, comics, etc with each other like it was some normal thing so I must have some trust in these people (I also do this with my IRL friends, but it's the same difference in terms of trusting them with my contribution to whatever it is).

That said, I think everyone still definitelys friends that they can keep in touch with face to face.

 

[razzle dazzle rose]

And also because you're hunting for people with similar interests and issues as yourself, so it's easier to relate to them. Plus the lack of person-to-person communication eliminates the initial awkwardness both of you would feel.

I have online friends (on this very forum, even) that I would love to meet...and there's some friends I've made online who I actually have met. It's good.

Yeah, and it seems people online are also more receptive to making new friends than the people I encounter in real life. People are just so busy!

I have met people in real life I met online. It is always interesting...but for some reason or other it doesn't really work in the long term.

It has been a couple years since I met someone from online. It would be fun to do again!

I think everyone still definitelys friends that they can keep in touch with face to face.

It is very important. At the end of the day, well, it would be nice to have someone to go to the movies with or grab a bite to eat.

 

[MikeyC]

Yeah, and it seems people online are also more receptive to making new friends than the people I encounter in real life. People are just so busy!

I have met people in real life I met online. It is always interesting...but for some reason or other it doesn't really work in the long term.

It has been a couple years since I met someone from online. It would be fun to do again!

I've met a few people in real life who I've met online. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I actually traveled to Melbourne to meet some guy and we're still friends today.

Razzle, you can come and meet me anytime you like (even though it is quite a flight).