The weirdness of having online friends

I'll admit that I used to be one of those sceptics who didn't believe in having online friends. (I know, right? *gasps* *runs from angry mob* *trips and gets trampled*) How can you be friends with someone when sometimes you don't even know what they look like? What their voice sounds like? What their real name is, sometimes? You can be anyone over the Internet, and how do you even know you're talking to an actual person and not a creepy 40-something random stalker pretending to be a teenage girl? AVOID THE INTERNET AT ALL COSTS. 



Well, that was my mindset. Then I started blogging and my worldview kinda blew up into little bits. (Like New York in every superhero movie ever. (Although now other places blow up too, like Sokovia.)) Because hey! There were actual people online who just wanted to discuss cool stuff like reading and writing and movies and stuff. I'm 98.47% they're real people too, who aren't pretending to be teenage girls but actually are. (On that note, I've very rarely come across a guy book/story/writing/whatever blogger. Has anyone else found that?) 

So now that I don't mind (and actually really enjoy) making online friends, I've come to see how weird it is. Like I've mentioned before, I don't actually know what some of my online friends look like. Some people use pen names. I don't know where everyone lives. (And on that note, none of you actually know what I look like or anything.) And that's a bit weird. I've come to accept that I'm never going to meet some of you in real life, too. I'd certainly love to but it just isn't always going to happen, and I've never had friends like that before. It's definitely a first for me. 

The great thing is that it doesn't take away from the fact that I still have friends online. I can still talk to people without ever having met them, and I can still feel like I know people even though I don't know what they look like. I think that all I see sometimes is a name on a screen made up of little pixels takes out all the other variables that you can have sometimes in life that stops you from being friends with someone, whether that's age or where you live or which classes you take in school. And that's pretty cool. 

Do you think it's weird to have online friends? 

Comments

  1. It was a bit of a curve for me, too. I think the hardest part for me is accepting that I probably won't meet (in person) a lot of the people I interact with.

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    1. It's a weird thought, isn't it? I'm not terribly happy with that, but I suppose I'll get over it. I'm glad I wasn't the only one who had a curve to work over :)

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  2. I used to be one of those people too. And then I started blogging and, yeah, the same thing basically happened. It is a little strange, I guess? But at the same time, it makes me realize that it's even weirder that people let barriers like looks and age come between talking about things they both enjoy. Also, I think it's really cool that I can discuss and share common interests with people who live in completely different countries. Even if I don't live where they live, I end up learning about their own country or culture through them.

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    1. It's totally strange, but I'm glad I'm not the only one. And I just LOVE learning about other people's culture and stuff. Making friends is good :) Thanks for commenting, Ashley!

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  3. I LOVE online friends. <3 I actually have always been very keen on it because I'm much more sociable when I can be typing instead of speaking. hehe. I love how online friendships are easier for people who aren't good around humans IRL. It's very helpful. *nods* I do think the whole "they might be a 40yo axe murderer!" thinking happens to everyone at some point.😂 But mostly people on the internet (especially blogging!) are just here to flail about their hobbies and have fun, right?! It's great having online friends! I LOVE IT.
    Thanks for stopping by @ Paper Fury!

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    1. Yes, I LOVE talking to people online because I'm such an introvert in real life. I probably wouldn't talk to most of you in real life, but now I get to talk to everyone :) And flailing about hobbies is always amazing.

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  4. I never really thought it was weird. Now ONLINE DATING... heck no! The funny thing is, many online friends are more real than the ones you can make in real life :/ I feel that the people who have anything in common with me live on the other side of the planet... :/

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    1. How on earth do people date online?!?! (Actually, I shouldn't speak because I'll probably end up being one of those people, knowing my life.) Well, at least you've found other people like you :) Thanks for commenting, Grace!

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  5. Ehhhhh... this has never bothered me. I met most of my friends online, a group of ten or so people who I met when I was twelve on an online forum, and we've been in contact ever since. For the entirety of my adolescent life, that has been my normal. Of course, OTHER PEOPLE have had their concerns, but really, it's not. They make my life easier and funner and more entertaining in every way.

    I guess it's worth noting that I have a different definition of online friendships, too. I have a narrow definition of friendship, so there are only a select few who fall into that category. However, having online friendships for so long made it really easy to connect with other people online and find their coolness in the blogosphere and whatnot. Still, I often tend to distinguish cool bloggers as my "neighbors" instead of friends, just because I feel like we work and exchange thought in similar areas. *nods*

    Anyway. I don't think it's weird at all. This is my social life. XD

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    1. Wow, that's awesome! And so young! I was pretty much still asking my parents if I could go on the Disney website at 12. (Not really. But I did love Club Penguin. (Definitely still don't.)) That's so cool that you've been able to be online for so long.

      That is actually a really good definition. I suppose neighbours ARE a better definition than friends, although I still like calling them my friends. Because friendship is cool.

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  6. "my worldview kinda blew up into little bits. (Like New York in every superhero movie ever." Victoria, you make me lol. I LOVE ONLINE FRIENDS. My mum is always v suspicious of me ... I'm like "gotta go, I'm reading my friend Victoria's book!" (which I actually am! Gonna get it back to you so soon!)
    "Who's Victoria?!"
    "She's my friend she's from Canada"
    "an online friend?!"
    "yes mother"
    "SHE'S PROBABLY A 40Y/O MAN"
    "I don't think 40y/o online stalkers commit to book blogs / Spiderman fangirling in order to befriend girls"
    "WELL THEY MIGHT"

    I try to explain to my parents that WRITING AN ENTIRE BOOK in order to make friends with girls online really would be playing the long game ... they still don't understand me ... XD

    Anyway, the friends I've made through blogging are such a blessing. I also love how many book bloggers are Christians! (It is so many!) And it's awesome to be able to learn about other people's cultures. And gah, I just love having writerly friends, because I only have about one irl, whereas on here we can all complain about our characters not behaving and nobody minds!

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    1. I DO TOO, NOW!! YAY!

      Yeah, I would be the world's most dedicated stalker person if I actually did that. (My parents are actually pretty good with it. They just look at me strangely, but don't say anything.)

      It's awesome, isn't it? And even if they don't talk a lot about their faith they're still Christians and share the same kinda worldview as you. I KNOW. Like I've talked all about my characters and usually I'm told to stop talking, but online people are like TELL ME MORE and I'm super confused now.

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