[CHAT] Online friends!
A few years ago, I signed up to a site that was about having virtual penpals. There were people from all over the world where people could make friends and do language swaps. Being a somewhat sheltered individual, I was curious to find out what life was like on the other side of the world. Who knew that in Finland, you could acquire a moped licence at 15? Or that in Norway, there’s a massive month-long party for high school graduates? That it’s quite difficult to pass the motorbike licence test in Vietnam? So many strange yet wondrous things to know about how people live in other countries! The experience was short-lived but it had some good intentions to leave me less like a hermit crab.
There are so many social platforms that we use today to keep in touch with people - the options are endless when we want to connect with family and friends. We use these apps and sites to keep up with people we know and to make new friends. Over the years, more ingenious ways have been created to get to know others like online games, chatrooms and forums. No matter where you live, you can find other people in the world who think, act, and talk more like you, which can be a great releif if you live in a rural or remote area.
If you find it difficult to make friends in the real world it's sometimes easier to be confident within yourself online. In situations where you don’t have many friendship options, the internet can be a tempting place to spend all your time. Though this can be an effective way of feeling like you belong, it’s important to consider building your existing real life friendships (even if that means travelling around a bit)
If you’re happy with having all your friends online, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. The problem arises only if you are having difficulty with offline relationships as well. Avoiding making friends offline can be a sign that there’s something a bit more serious going on.
***Whether you keep in touch with your friends online or prefer to catch up face-to-face, or if you've made new friends online - we want to hear from you! Join us to chat about online friendships on Monday 28 July at 8pm, AEST!***
Hey @Georgie I totally agree, things like sarcasm are so hard online! I also hate writing lol or haha and never actually laughing..!
Hey @dreamcatcher , welcome!
I used to use skype heaps when I was overseas but less now. It's good to have a decent catch up with someone though because the video makes it so much like being there in person 🙂
Hey all, welcome! I hope you’re ready for another good GR sesh with myself and the miraculous @myvo 🙂
Topic of the week is…. Online friendships… ta da! So much to discuss- the how, where, good, bad- I’m really looking forward to it.
As per usual, we do have forum guidelines so please play by the rules. And always make sure you take care of yourself, if you’re feeling upset at all tonight please check out the emergency help tab in the top right hand corner.
So let’s kick it off straight away with….
How do you keep in touch with people online?
I'm really sorry but I won't be joining you tonight. I'm going to go to bed after I finished this series. I do really want to stay but I know I shouldn't.
There is one thing I wanted to say though,
I consider all of you here as my friends, even though I don't actually know any of you personally, I don't need to know personal details to have a level of trust in all of you that I find lacking in my world. So thank-you guys.
Also, when you're online though, stay safe and stay anonymous. Make sure you actually know the person, as in really know the person and have met them physically before you exchange personal details. Just be safe!
Again, sorry I can't stay but enjoy your night!
Thanks,
N1ghtW1ng
Hey @N1ghtW1ng !
What a lovely touch to the convo! Very sweet 🙂 You're our friend too!! I do agree that you don't need to know someone inside out to be their friend.
And good on you for focusing on self care.
Enjoy your sleep!!
