You probably won't need to hire a relationship counselor to fix your online friendship, but you never know. Be patient and remember that miscommunications will happen. It's also common to not get the hint that someone doesn't want to talk to you. Taking offensive to a benign message is common. You can use emojis, but they're not always helpful. Body language and tone of voice are absent. The problem with text is that there isn't enough communication. Your friend may even live in a place where it's just not feasible. While there are always video chats, they can't work all the time.
#Friends series online plus#
There is a plus to that, as mentioned above, but if you need your social fix, having online-only friends may not work. You two have lives and arranging a meeting with your online friend can be difficult, and costly if they live far. With that said, online friends have their disadvantages as well.Įven if your online friend lives just a few hours from you, you're probably not going to visit them every weekend or anything. And as technology evolves, it'll get even closer. It isn't a perfect replication of actually being there, but the ways you can interact with your friend brings it closer to being on the same level as a real-life friend. You two can walk around the town, talking to each other. You can have video chats through your computer or phone. For the traveler, having friends across the globe can be a good thing. They might even be able to chip in for a plane ticket. Best of all, if you do get a chance to visit where they live, you may have a place to stay and someone to show you around. You can learn about their culture, and they can learn from you. However, making friends with someone who is different from you can be a learning experience. If you live in America and another person lives in the UK, you aren't going to walk to their house and hang out. You Can Make Friends All Around the Globe But due to the easy way of communicating, you can learn more about someone much faster than you can in real life. In real life, it's hard to talk about some things without feeling like you're going to be laughed at. They'll talk about their flaws, their mental illnesses, what they fear, and so on. Most people online are more comfortable with talking about themselves. This isn't to say that there aren't some fears of talking to a stranger online, but it's just much easier. You can take time to write out exactly what you want to say. On the Internet, it's easier for most to make that first comment or send that first message. If you're introverted, shy, or just don't like talking to strangers, it's hard to make that first move. Perhaps the best thing about online communication is how easy it is to strike up a conversation. That isn't to say you must spend money to hang out with a real-life friend, but it does help with the bills. You can just relax at home and talk to them while you're about to go to bed, while you're working, and so on. You don't have to go to the movies, go eat out or go shopping with an online friend. You don't have to have everything in common with a friend sometimes, differences can spice up a friendship, but having shared interests is one way to spark a conversation. Having a mutual interest is a great icebreaker. Be it a political group, a blog dedicated to a certain fandom, and so on.
You can meet friends on forums dedicated to an interest. With that said, there are pros and cons to having an online friend. Be it an embarrassing confession, or a secret they'll tell everyone. You may have good real-life friends, but there are probably some things you just can't tell them. That's because the Internet allows us to find people who share the same interests and beliefs as everyone else. You can share a bond with someone from behind another screen, and sometimes the bond goes deeper than it does for your IRL friends.
#Friends series online Offline#
Nowhere in the definition of the word 'friend' does it say that the friend must be offline only. The answer is, as you probably expect, yes. However, if the friend lives in a place where traveling to just isn't possible, you may wonder if that friend is as legitimate as a friend who lives nearby, who you meet in person on a regular basis. Now, you can video chat with your friend with ease, talk to them wherever you are and have a digital bond that lasts. Gone are the days of anonymous chat rooms and wondering whether the person behind the computer was even real. It's always in your pocket you're always on some form of social media, and yet there is still a stigma towards online friends. The Internet has been a part of mainstream culture for well over two decades now.