"Real life" vs. online ??

[lyricalliaisons]

How much easier is it for you to "talk" to people online versus real life (if at all)??

It's much easier for me to "talk" to someone online than offline, but it's still incredibly hard most of the time. I always feel so stupid & never know what to say & always feel like the person's thinking terrible things about me because of my responses, but are just not saying anything to me about it. I always feel so inadequate & childlike, or dull, or both.

I also feel like some people online might be talking negatively about me to others who "know" me somewhat. I'm sure it's all in my head, at least the part about people talking about me behind my back, but I still think it could be happening, even though I know it's not . I know that some of the symptoms of social anxiety are "fear of judgment" etc. but I don't experience those traits often when it comes to real life, but I do online.

Can anyone else relate or does anyone else feel similarly?

 

[Kanye West]

Real life and thats pretty sad considering my sometimes boarderline mentally retarded conversation skills. I find it hard to have a conversation in a chat like situation because of my lack of grammer skills and there is no body language to read which I am the master of.

 

[Emily_G]

Oh wow Online is soooo much easier. I don't stutter if I type

 

[apollo]

It's easier online because there is no pressure to continue the conversation. And you don't see other's reactions. You don't know for sure who they really are or if they judge you.

The downside is that it becomes hard to have that 'real-life' connection online.

 

[xxaimsxx]

In all honesty i find it more hard to talk to people online. Sure in real life i'm quiet but once i get to know people and stuff i'm fine. Online you dont really see a persons face so you cant talk properly. I find it more harder actually to talk online, text and talk to someone on the phone. I'd rather talk to them in person.

Strange that isnt it? I never used to be like that.

 

[LadyWench]

I have a backspace button on my keyboard, so that makes talking online much easier, than in person.

 

[spider04]

backspace FTW

 

[peacegrrl]

Real-life conversations are actually easier for me. The reason, I believe, is down to my lack of confidence in written expression. I'm never concise and tend to ramble, and spend way too much time thinking about and analysing what I'm typing. I bet most people could write a reply of this length in 1/3 of the time it took me. I'm simply not used to translating thoughts and feelings this way, and have never been. Not even in diaries or frickin' post-it notes. Plus, I have a bad habit of neglecting online friendships especially if our only communication is via e-mail or on a forum where the "chat" isn't instantaneous ::

 

[Falkor]

Online it's SO MUCH easier, because I can think longer before I say what I wanna say.
Because in real life you need to give a direct answer.
That's why I practice to talk slower.
So that maybe something else pops into my mind.
But it does get better, today I had really good conversations going on, and I feel really great, that it went this way.
First I went shopping with my mom, after that I went to a kermis with a friend ( my mom suggested it, because she wants me to go out as much as possible)
Before I went, I was soooooooooooooo anxious, and I was thinking, Woow he's quiet too ( cuz he's not very talk-active too that friend) but anyways, when we went to the kermis, he talked and I talked! We had a really good conversation and we had much fun. I stayed there till 1:00, talking with him and his parents
We laughed alot, and this shows that it's always packs out differently.
''There will be a good time, even when you are afraid it won't, it's never as it seems'' ::

 

[Kat]

I find both difficult, I always worry that I sound harsh online. I would say it is harder to connect with people until you talk to them one on one and it’s never the same until you hear their tone of voice.

 

[Uber Schnitzel]

I find both difficult, I always worry that I sound harsh online. I would say it is harder to connect with people until you talk to them one on one and it’s never the same until you hear their tone of voice.

I agree. You miss so much when it's just the written (typed) word. The tone, rhythm of their voice. Sometimes it's not what is said but rather how; a look..a pause...a half smile ::

 

[SPV]

Both tough for me Sadly even if I were anonymous...

 

[dooby-duck]

I've never chatted online at all. The closest I've got is posting in forums. I find it easier to talk to people in real life. It's probably because I'm forced to talk to people in real life but can avoid it online.

 

[mrb]

online on fri nights then no one can tell im drunk ...... you cant type slur lol ::

 

[Noca]

Online is much easier for me.

 

[diesel]

online i find much easier to really talk ....

 

[PhantomPod]

Online is usually easier for me, because I am able to really take the time to think about what I want to say and formulate my response.

What's interesting is that I used to have a really big online life and lots of online friends. Like, throughout high school, all I did was come home from school and talk to my friends on message boards and I'd never hang out with people in "real life." But now I don't go on message boards as often and I don't really have online friends. Nor do I have "real life" friends...