For the first time in, well, forever (more like, for the first time ever), I’ve decided to go ahead and write a part 3 for one my posts. If you haven’t read part 1 and part 2, I highly suggest you do it because I’m dealing with online friendships, which I’m hoping has been informative so far.
While I have covered the things you should look out for in online friendships, and how to maintain online friendships, I forgot to cover a very important aspect of this vast topic, and that is the stigma regarding online friendships can sometimes be better than your friends offline.
1. They are more present than offline friends sometimes.
There are times when you just want to talk to somebody, and your offline friends can be caught up with something. This is where online friends can come to your rescue and be there for you. Though not physically, they can provide you the emotional comfort that you need, which feels just as good as a hug.
2. They are your closest confidantes.
With online friends, there is a sense of freedom that comes as a part of the package. They don’t judge you; in fact, they will be interested in your crazy stories. Who knows? You could trade stories and have a long-distance sleepover through texts or phone calls. I can tell you that they’re incredibly fun.
3. You’ll always have someone you know in a new city.
Imagine having to go to a new city and not having anywhere to stay. When you have online friends, not only do you have one worry crossed off the list, you also have someone who will show you around their city and a friend when you need it the most. (Plus, it gives you a chance to catch up outside of social media, so it’s a win-win.)
4. They care. A lot.
Maybe it’s the fact that you’re a lot farther away than it seems over texts and calls or that there’s this twinge of sadness that you can’t meet them, but this somehow alleviates the amount of love that you have for each other. Don’t ask me how. It’s almost as if the love is trying to compensate for the lack of physical presence, but it’s very real.
5. You’ll learn a lot of new things.
Despite what the internet tells you, there are a few things you’ll learn from a friend in another corner of the world. With online friendships, the learning never ends because all of you are living such different lives. You might learn about new people in their lives, their family, the city they live in, or you trade movie or music suggestions. The list is damn near endless.
I know that no matter how much I have to say about what a beautiful advantage online friendship can be to this ever-expanding world, it will always be viewed as a possible threat because of so much negativity that still prevails on the internet. But I really hope that if you had your doubts about it then, my posts have helped clear at least a few.
Keep an open mind and be open to making new friends online!
Cheerio! Xx
Hey guys! I hope you liked this post. If you did, leave a comment below to let me know or share with someone who might need to hear this today. You can also reach out to me and say ‘Hi’ on Twitter and Instagram. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.
Yours truly,
The Shubhster.
The Shubhster Diaries 