Online Friends

Ive read several posts from people who say they have more online friends than real friends. I guess i fit into that category. Im not sure how i feel about that.

Do you think that online friends are a help or a hindrance? Id love to hear examples of how online friendships have affected your life both positively and negatively.

I have two really good offline friends and one really good online friend, and I don't know what I would do without any one of them

I don't see how they're a hindrance unless an otherwise "socially-able" person socialized online to the detriment of their offline social life, job, or studies.

Despite being active, I have no offline friends so the only company I have that isn't at an acquaintanceship level is online. There's something to come home to after studies and someone to care about my health, my ideas, and my worries when I want to talk. Just having other human beings to interact with who are actually part of your life can make a difference, even if you live a thousand miles away. That can still be a friend and the effects of mutual compassion and giving are very real.

I've stopped trying to make new ones, though. After one online friend has avoided you after meeting in-person and people don't want you offline, it's hard to trust new people or feel that they don't just like you because they haven't met you. All that sitting at the computer typing while others are out sitting around tables in diners and laughing, and they might still not like me past the initial impression...

Some online friends are a hindrance, some are a blessing. Online friends are really no different than offline friends.
I've had some of both, probably still have both, if I think about it. They are still my friends, though, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

I have a couple of online friends who I wouldn't want to be without. They are a help and never a hindrance.
Tealeaf-I am sorry that your meeting with an online friend went badly.

I have two online friends, one I've been talking to for several years and the other for the last few months. I like helping them with their social problems and ineptness, but most of the time we enjoy talking around any subject and have fun making each other laugh. Always once a week for the first friend, but if I'm too tired during the week I just can't get online to natter to my newest friend. She does understand, though.

Except in the past there have been troublesome online friends which I've had to permanently block. In these often awkward situations you just have to turn away and not talk to them again. The problem also with instant messengers is chatting can take up far too much time.


Slightly off-topic which I hope will be allowed, but do you ever look out of the window daydreaming? Do you ever go for an evening walk? Do you ever stop tapping your phone's screen just for five precious minutes to instead, read a book? Or walk somewhere taking in views of things you have never noticed before? Anything than being constantly chained to the screen of your phone, tablet or laptop chatting, dickering away on the keyboard into the small hours when one should be sleeping.

Speaking personally, of course.

Online friends are the best. They never wake me up or knock on my door. In another words i talk to my online friend when I feel like it.

Everyone has really good points.

I have a friend that I've known since high school. We haven't seen eachother in over 25 years yet we share text messages almost every day. If one of us goes somewhere interesting, the other sends pictures... And we discuss. Last night she was texting me a blow by blow of the Grammys because I don't have a TV. It felt normal.

My friend is much more outgoing than I am and she wants to meet, hang out, watch movies, etc... (no, this is not a love interest). I'm not sure I want that. We have a good relationship as it is and I believe that meeting in person will change our dynamic. Especially since she is much more outgoing than me and requires constant interaction with other people. I prefer the "distance" of an online relationship. But I'm missing something... Aren't I?

I have more online friends than friends in real life. I am just fine with it. I often find that online friends are more friends than real in your face friends. That s just my own observations. You get to know the online friend deeper spiritually than any real life friend. Yes, you can say well you never really know someone online, which is true. But I have faith what they are saying to me is genuine. Bright Blessings ^.^

Aside from the casual interest-based sort of things I only really talk to 2 people, my husband and a longtime (over a decade now) online friend. Still have a few old old friends from childhood I talk to now and then but much as I still love them our lives went in very different directions so I don't talk about a lot of things with them.

For me online communication in general is a help but that's me. I don't live in a place where my way of looking at things fits in at all so its best I stay to myself.

I think its like some have said above, it can go either way, depends on the friend/s.
I had an online friend for over a decade that I finaly realised was not good for me. but then i met another friend (ladyforsaken from this forum) and we instantly felt a connection and it's been great with none of the negatives of my previous friendship.
we go about our lives and chat when our schedules cross and keep in touch on a daily bases.
it gives me the satisfaction of true friendship and has never felt like a burden, much the opposite.
i think we can know someone a lot more online, as long as both people are honest.

I had more online than offline friends since the age of 16 at least. In addition to that I've lost contact to most of my offline friends after I got out of school and moved to another place to start my apprenticeship. By no means my online friends have ever proven to be of any hindrance in the meantime. I always had a much stronger emotional connection to the majority of them and they sticked with me throughout the years. And when I realized that there was no use in trying to make friends among the "locals", I accepted the situation. I had no other choice. I haven't made any new offline friends for a while now and it doesn't bother me. I always had loner-like tendencies and the physical presense of one too many people tends to get to me anyway.

A person on another forum once claimed that online friends are less of a burden for people easily drained by social interaction like full-fledged introverts because you can just "switch them off" if you feel like it...I can agree with the first part at least. I never tried to escape the responsibility of being a friend and/or advisor in a time of need. The only moot point here is that most people simply never needed me.

It's choice having online friends or not. You make the decision. Just like everything else it has merits and demerits. It depend on how much trust you can put on somebody who is thousand miles apart from you living behind the monitor. They might be deceiver, manipulator or can be real trust worthy. I don't have any real friends out there in world. Not a single one If I call it precisely. All of my friends are virtual. And so far they are very good to me especially few close one and of course there had been bad cases too where people just left me without telling me anything at all but that is expected from them. I mean they have life to live, lots of responsibilities and work to live. But over all it's good experience for me. I can rely on them when time comes. Some of them are great adviser, some are very good company and some are just pure fun to spend some time. It really helps with my loneliness and I'm always grateful to them for that. Among them are few my best friends, better than I had in real life If I could say it.

Like I said it all depends on you on how you're going to let them into your life. That's your call on how much dependency you can put on them. If you're spending all the time with them neglecting your work, responsibility and other important things in life then they are hindrance for you. I will advise not to do so. Like real friends in life they too need some space. You can't expect them to hang around all day with you, can you?

Lastly, I would say use mind when choosing online friends either it will turn very good for you or it will be disaster for you.

I've tried and failed on numerous occasions. I try to be very honest and respectful but it just doesn't seem to work (on this site at least). I find it very difficult for people to grasp my sarcasm and humor. I'm absolutely ridiculous in real life but that's hard to convey without people thinking you're a weirdo haha.

It's weird how much rejection I get online. But ya I think I've given up.
Luckily I have great friends that it doesn't bother me too much. But it is still something I kinda wanted. Online friends. *sigh*

I have only online friends. Maybe someday I will have a best friend in real life too. For me... Those online friends are just a good thing, since I'm really shy and quiet in real life and appreciate my solitude a lot. But 1-3 close friends in real life would be awesome also. I keep dreaming~!