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[call_me_lovey]

Can you ever call an online friendship a real friendship?? Why or why not??

Comments

[laura_seabrook]

In some ways yes. There are people whom I've never met but do care about, and I believe that they care about me. But that's been built up over several years, not two days on facebook. And there are levels of friendship as well. It's not an all or nothing thing.

[koopaqueen]

Of course! Some of the people I talk to online are more true and are there for me when absolutely none of the friends I know in person and see on a regular basis are. However, most of these online friends are people I have met in person at some point in time, or knew and they/I moved away. They are people I have talked to and built a friendship with over the years, not just someone who randomly sent me a friend request. I have a very select few online friends whom I have never met, but they too are good friends to me, and people who I have talked to for a good long time. I agree with the person who said it depends on how real they are with you, because that certainly plays big part in it all. I have had experiences in the past with people I talked to for years, and found out they were not who they said they were, or lied to me in some way. It's sad to think that people would lie to someone they claim to care about and be a friend to, but sadly it happens all the time. I try to get to know people as best as possible by arranging to

[ferriswheels]

Of course. My best friends are online friends. I'm better friends with them than the friends I have in "real" life.

Elyse

[vampedgoddess]

I think it depends on the people talking.

I've been friends with a girl since the summer before Middle School who I originally met in an RP chat room on (pause) AOL. Now we're both in College and still talking, keeping up with each others lives.

I'm not online as much, and we no longer RP, but we're there when we need someone who can be completely objective with the other's situation.

[ieuphemia]

I'd go as far to say that online friendships can be more "real" than offline ones. You spend more of your time talking and getting to know each other. Yes, there's that risk that the person you're talking to could turn out to be a completely different person, but from my experience, I haven't had that happen to me. I was always cautious about who I spoke to (we'd converse via webcam and microphone), and I've even gone on to meet several people I've met that way. And I've got to say, seeing them face-to-face didn't enhance our friendship that much, we were still the same people. The only difference is that we could take pictures together, haha.

[insane_eternity]

Well, that and the difference that you can do things together in real life, rather than just talking online.