originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:27 PM

Friendships and the way we handle them are pretty different from person to person. I remember a drastic so-called 'friend' who believed that all her gaming friends were more supportive than anyone IRL, despite that she had no social skills whatsoever. I think that some people can definitely transfer their social skills online to IRL but others, not so much. 

 

Online hangouts are pretty cool when people live hella far away. I know that I use brief online chats to arrange a time with friends to catch up in person. But that's about it. 

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:29 PM

Hmm good point @Myvo 

 

Interested to hear everyone's opinions. Do you think that sometimes online friendships and socialising damage our IRL Social skills? 

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:35 PM

Gotta agree with @lokifish with the concept that online relationships/friendships can be a double-edged sword. @Ben-RO, I honestly think it depends on the person. But I do believe that if your whole social sphere is online (you've never met them IRL and so forth), then it can be challenging to 'legitimise' it so to speak. 

 

Everyone presents themselves different online and in person face to face. For example, when @stonepixie first met me in person, she was surprised. Why? Because apparently, by the way I spoke online, she thought that I was a dude 😕 

 

So, not every connection you make online is going to be seeing 'eye to eye' to who a person really is. 

 

Cue stranger danger, haha. 

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:46 PM

@Myvo I notice here on the forums I tend to be referred to as "they". Not sure whether it has anything to do with people being unsure and taking the safe route as I have 'Loki' in my name but am certainly no dude haha 😛

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:49 PM

@lokifish Good point. When someone starts investing (whether that's physically, emotionally, and financially) too much into it all. 

 

Haha, I think I've been guilty of that. My bad  I think using the pronoun 'they' seems to be a safe bet instead of assuming gender. 

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:54 PM

Oh I think gender neutral pronouns are great and I usually use them too, it's just sometimes a little funny when you read them used to describe yourself. Or maybe I'm the only one who feels like that 😛 anyway I'm going off topic, carry on 🙂

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:56 PM

Good point @lokifish, interestingly, gender neutral pronouns are still a gender identity, so i think it makes sense that it might feel a bit weird if it's not your gender identity! 

originally posted on 27-06-2016 10:08 PM

Alright, that's a wrap! Thank you so much to everyone who came alone to chat with us! 

 

Especially to the always fab @stonepixie and @Ben-RO! 

 

The wonders of the internet

Looks like we use the internet for all sorts of stuff! From things that we need to do like assignments, research, and figuring out the best deals to leisure and fun (i.e. Netflix, project inspiration, food, and procrastination), there’s not much that we don’t do online.

 

Visiting websites
Youtube, Netflix, Ebay, Etsy, Pinterest, Snapchat, the news…the list is endless when it comes to what we all visit on a regular basis. We know that the web has a lot to offer and how useful, useless, and entertaining it can all be too. Some of us use apps on our phones to help us plan, keep track of, or communicate with the people around us. The internet is not just limited to websites!

 

Accessing the web
A lot of us use our phones, laptops, or computers to use the internet. Some of us love free wifi (because hey, it’s free!), others are concerned whether there’s a catch. There’s definitely different places to use the internet, especially ones that you wouldn’t expect (like a hospital!)

 

Convenient service

Being able to access the web is incredibly convenient for us. It can be used to make our lives easier and to save time when we’re uncertain that the weather, traffic or public transport is going to be ok. We use it to connect with those closest to us (near and far!), being able to catch up on shows and movies, and the news.

 

24hr Shutdown
If the World Wide Web was shut down for 24 hours, many of us wouldn’t know how to cope 😕 Except @Ben-RO – because Ben has heaps of offline hobbies! Most of us would have weird conversations, read, sleep, eat, as well as generally panic! 😧

 

Online hang-outs
Gosh, this one is a real double-edged sword! There’s definitely some pros and cons about online hang outs. We talked about online friendships, relationships and connections, and whether this can be a positive thing. Other people talked about how not everyone shows their true self online so it can be tricky when you meet them face-to-face. Remember, safety first!

 

Signs to look out for in your pals or yourself when navigating the online world
There’s plenty of signs to look out for when navigating the online world such as if you or someone else has changed in behaviour, investing too much into it (physically, emotionally, and financially), avoiding IRL responsibilities, being quiet and withdrawn, forgetting to look after yourself (general hygiene and brain rest), and lack of self-awareness.

Self-care tips

Ways to take care of yourself away from the wonders of the internet include taking some time off from screens, know your limits and triggers, explore different offline hobbies, go outside, take care of your real life responsibilities, and safety first!

 

Want to find out more? Check out these!

• What is self-care
• My only friends are online
• Cyberbullying
• Types of help
• Stay Smart Online by AusGov
• Tips to staying safe online
• Getting your message out to the media

originally posted on 27-06-2016 10:02 PM

@Ben-RO Yeah for people who are non-binary it probably feels perfectly natural. I imagine certainly much more so than 'he' or 'she'

originally posted on 27-06-2016 10:06 PM

Definitely remember your safety is utmost important!

originally posted on 27-06-2016 10:08 PM

Whoa, that's all we have time for tonight! I feel like we need another half hour to actually talk through all the things though! Alas I am falling asleep at the keyboard, which i think is a sign that I have spent too much time online and need to do some IRL sleeps! 

 

Thanks everyone for coming! 

 

@stonepixie @lokifish @Myvo @j95 @ryvb3!

originally posted on 27-06-2016 10:11 PM

It's been a great chat! Thanks @Ben-RO @stonepixie @Myvo.

 

Have a good night everyone 🙂

originally posted on 27-06-2016 10:16 PM

Gnite @lokifish!

 

originally posted on 27-06-2016 10:10 PM

Goodnight everyone! Hope you have a rad week. Thanks for coming along.

 

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:52 PM

We have touched on red flags, but how do we stay safe?

 

What self-care tips do you have for fellow web fanatics?

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:57 PM

What self-care tips do you have for fellow web fanatics?

 

 

Know your limits. Know your triggers. Listen to you intuition. Not sure about something, take a step back and examine it from a distance. Know when it is time to log off.

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:59 PM

What self-care tips do you have for fellow web fanatics?

 

If you can do it safely, hang out with your web fanatics in real life. Even if you go to a computer cafe and play games together, leave the house and go do it together! 

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:51 PM

I usually go with gender neutral unless they have specified @lokifish

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:38 PM

Gosh, we had a lot of opinions for our previous question! 

 

Time to move on 😛

 

What are some signs that you should be concerned about your pals or yourself when navigating the online world?

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:47 PM

What are some signs that you should be concerned about your pals or yourself when navigating the online world?

 

Being quiet or withdrawn.

There is a behaviour change.

 

 

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:46 PM

Hahaha, it's all good @stonepixie!

 

Hm, I'd think that signs to watch out for are: 

• if they're spending too much time online that they forget about everyday stuff (i.e. their responsibilities, general daily functions, etc.)
• If they recount stuff that has nothing to do with you all the time (e.g. stories/in-jokes that they share with their online buds - this also includes being way too lazy to recount what's happening with them and copy-paste conversations that they had already sent to others)

 

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:50 PM

They're both good points @Myvo but I think the second one also applies to real life friendships. There's nothing worse than hanging out with a group of people and they all start sharing stories/inside jokes that you're not a part of 😞

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:54 PM

Most definitely @lokifish. It is never a good feeling. If you want to explore this more, feel free to start a thread on it.

originally posted on 27-06-2016 9:59 PM

What self-care tips do you have for fellow web fanatics?

 

• Don't click on dodgy links (pretty obvious)
• Take time out to attend to your real-life responsibilities
• Go outside and enjoy the sunshine once in a while
• If you're going to meet up with someone you met online, tell a friend/family member the details beforehand and try and meet up in a busy public place
• If you get a dodgy vibe from the person it's okay to leave! Always safety first