Can you find true friendship on the internet?
By polaris714
@polaris714 (607)
Philippines
July 11, 2008 3:59am CST
I mean getting to know someone, then being friends with them. The internet has provided us with new ways to keep in touch with our friends and reach out to others. We have found people thru the internet, we get to chat with them and share ideas like on Mylot. There are even websites dedicated to bringing people together, sort of like the "penpal" section in magazines in the good ol' days.
But sometimes I feel as if I am just conversing with a disembodied set of words magically coming together on my screen. Its not like talking with a real flesh-and-blood friend whom you can touch, maybe pat on the back, shake hands with, etc.
So, what do you think, how "real" are friends we make thru the internet? Do you think you can develop true friendship on the internet?
5 people like this
26 responses
@Barb42 (4214)
• United States
11 Jul 08
There are true friends to be made on the Internet. I know; I have a circle of friends to whom I talk all the time, both in email and on the phone. Some I have met personally a few times. One I have had since 1997. She lives in Missouri and I live in Alabama. I've met her, her husband and a son about 4 or 5 times. I've been out to eat with them and it's just like we've been friends forever and live in the same town,yet we live hundreds of miles away.
I have lots of friends on the Internet, but none as close as those 4 friends in that circle. Others I have known much longer, but we aren't as close as us ladies. Some of us have websites. In fact, that's the way I met the one from Missouri, through finding her website.
@Barb42 (4214)
• United States
12 Jul 08
Thanks, Polaris. We all have similar interests and enjoy talking to one another. There has been another group of us women with about 3 of us with them, but the glue wasn't there to keep those friendships going like this group now. We share constantly about our families and whatever else we want to share. It's just nice to have such friends to stick by.
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
Thank you for your response. I can feel that the friendships you make go way beyond skindeep, just like yourself. If you know what I mean. You must be a great person, one of the "awesome people" they were referring to in the other posts I received. Its nice meeting you thru your post.
@mialei23 (2385)
• Philippines
11 Jul 08
Yes we can find true friend on the internet. I found a best friend because of the internet, I mean best friends, a girl and a boy. I met them 6 years ago in a chat room and we're still now in good terms. My girl best friend is now a Mother and my boy best friend is now working in Singapore. They are both Filipino citizen. I am proud that I met them because they are always at my side through thick and thin. It's hard to find true friends now.
1 person likes this
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
I should keep looking, you all make me think I will get lucky too. I get the feeling I find not just one friend but more. Congratulations on finding true and lasting - hopefully - friendship.
@redsponge (557)
• Malaysia
11 Jul 08
aww...it's great that you still maintain your friendships with both of them. Hopefully the busy lives of each of you wont keep you away from each other. Remember to contact each other once in a while! :)
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
11 Jul 08
I actually married a man I met on the internet. He was in Holland at the time when I met him on ICQ. We will be celebrating our 10th anniversary this year. We have also made some wonderful friendships via the net and met those people too. Many of them are friends that we speak with on a daily basis through programs on the computer or on the phone.
1 person likes this
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
Congratulations and happy anniversary! Its just great that you found friends on the internet and actually got to meet them. You must be a very happy person. Isn't there a study that having a lot of friends - forming a strong support group - actually decreases the risk of cancer and other such diseases? Here's to a long and happy life : )
@Amberina (1541)
• United States
11 Jul 08
I have two friends that I met on the internet I have known them for going on 10 years and all tho we have never met in person we have talked on the phone and the internet all this time. Maybe someday we will meet in person but for now we are happy to talk on the phone.
I think you can have a wonderful friendship with someone online. Amberina.
1 person likes this
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
Your response is backed by ample evidence, so how could I contradict? : ) Thank you for dropping by.
@metschica25 (5399)
• United States
11 Jul 08
It is possible to find friendship on the internet . There are many good and wonderful people out there . I have many friends who I met online and later met up with . I actually met my best friend a couple of years ago on a site called myspace .
1 person likes this
@mycorp (22)
• Indonesia
11 Jul 08
I Try to explain this,..
Getting True Friendship through internet, it's possible but all of it depend on your commitment each other. Internet just only media, True Friendship is talking about heart , feelings and so on.
I do not know exactly that Internet became a best media to touch us to make a friendship. but It's nice to try and nothing to lose right?...
Good Luck
1 person likes this
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
Thank you. That's pretty deep, but for me you hit it right on the head. Internet is just the media.
@michele_villasenor (624)
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
I think it's possible but that it is not always the case. Several people have done it and a lot are still doing it and a lot more are willing to do it.
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
17 Jul 08
Yes, I am convinced now that it is possible, but I agree with you that its not always the case. One has to be careful. Thank you for your response.
@brucekaushik (891)
• India
11 Jul 08
i was trying to find genuine people on the internet to be friends of but so far i am unsuccessful, but i admit that i did not search for long enough ... all i feel about this type of friendship is that its possible but you will have to try hard to meet the real people.
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
People say that to find a friend, you have to be a friend yourself. I admit that I am now pessimistic about finding a true friend thru the internet, but based on the responses I got from my post, it seems I am wrong. There are friends out there, we just haven't met them yet. So don't give up - keep trying and soon you will find someone. Cheers
@brucekaushik (891)
• India
12 Jul 08
ya you are right maybe we should start looking for the people more seriously.
@dhangski (3194)
• Philippines
11 Jul 08
I believe that we can find true friendship on the internet. Based on my experience, I found a true friend in the net. I met him on my social networking site at Yuwie, and we became close since then. We always chat every night. We tell each other our problems, our ups and downs. I don't find it hard to open up with him. We share our happiness whenever we talk. I'm glad that he's always there for me.
1 person likes this
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
Congratulations! You're so lucky! That's just so great, to have someone you can share life's ups and downs with. Isn't it great to have someone you can open up to and with whom you can share your deepest secrets with? They say the person who has found a true friend has found a priceless treasure.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
11 Jul 08
I guess we can get that kind of a relationship.
I have this friend who I met in one of the social networking site. We chat almost every night. We talk about everything about life, about our likes, about love. Everything even our problems, we share everything.
At this point, we already know that our relationship, as best online friends, will last a long time.
But of course, nothing will compare with friends, true friends in flesh.
I hope me and my BOF will meet someday.
KEEP SMILING = NEIL
1 person likes this
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
Neil, thank you for sharing your story. Its so encouraging. All the stories I read here means that the internet is indeed a great way of reaching out and finding friends. We are not limited to those we meet on the street or in our neighborhood. We can reach out to those who are halfway around the world - Isn't that great?
@doawnallan (244)
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
i have lots of friend in internet and some are my true friend in real but some are not. it's depend.
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
17 Jul 08
I must say, you are one lucky guy. Thank you for your response.
1 person likes this
@soheavenlyme (117)
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
very difficult to find a friend here, but its a good socializing way to improve yourself.
@adutza (39)
• Romania
12 Jul 08
in my opinion it is very possible to be connected with somebody via internet, to get to spend time with him and just talk.. to know each other, and also in this situation you have the desire to get to know this friend, to see how he looks in reality. But also you have to think that you don't really know much about this people, he is a stranger to you, and maybe he is a lier too, and you may be disappointed.
@redsponge (557)
• Malaysia
11 Jul 08
Yes, i believe that we can make friends over the internet. It is just like the question, can you find true friendship in from "pen-pal"?
I make friends through yahoo!Mahjong game few years back. He is much older than me thus I get to share his experience in life! And now, I am making new friends in the blogosphere too. Caring among the bloggers through the comments they give shows you that they are your real friends.
True friendship can be found anywhere, as long as we open up our heart. :)
1 person likes this
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
What more can I say? Amen and thank you
1 person likes this
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
Yes, maybe you shouldn't draw conclusions too fast, because it seems a lot of people agree that you can find true friendship thru the internet. Thank you for your response.
@princessdian (506)
• United States
12 Jul 08
I was able to make true lasting friendships over the internet. I made a close friend who I often go to for advice and encouragement. We met through an online game and chat and webcam on msn together. We even call each other up on the phone to talk occasionally. I'm able to talk to her about things I can't with other friends. I think its possible to find true friendship if your willing to spend the time to keep up with each other.
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
17 Jul 08
You were lucky to find friends. A word of wisdom: you must be willing to spend time to keep up with each other. Thank you for your response.
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
• United States
12 Jul 08
i met my best friend on myspace and we have been best friends for years now.. i think there are more people being themselves now online because more people want to connect with real life.. i guess people that are fake on here could be just as fake in real life.. you just might spot them quicker in real life..
@TAYSON0076 (214)
• Egypt
11 Jul 08
its too easy to make this on the internet but you must search about some one honest to be your online friend i have online friend in Netherlands she is a girl and i like her to much
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
Congralutations on finding someone you really like. Hope the friendship blooms into something beautiful. Thank you for your response, I agree that honesty is crucial to friendship, but it can be so hard to tell if the person is honest or not (sigh)
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
18 Jul 08
Yes, I agree with your word of caution. Thank you for dropping in.
@polaris714 (607)
• Philippines
12 Jul 08
Yes, it may be rather hard, but a lot of people have convinced me that it is not impossible. Maybe you will find somebody soon. Thank you for dropping by
