Are online friends really friends?

Im not sure. Some are friends some arent. Some people be friends until you give em trust then they scam you or something.Anyone on the internet cant be trusted unless you know them in real life. You can chat but not give personal information.

some of the best friends that I have ever had are online friends, they have helped me more than my real life friends. Online friends can be wonderful friends, but just because you write emails with someone online does not mean necessarily they are your friend, no more than every one of your neighbours are your best friends or all your classmates are you best friends. knowing people does not make them your friends, actions do.

I think people that you meet online might know certain parts of you better since you might be more open there and express your opinion freely. You can also see if you have same interests without having to ask multiple questions,however some sides of people are better seen in person. For example,if you're stingy and don't like to pick up the tab,how would they know that if they never went out with you? Most people would be embarrassed to admit such things about themselves. Sorry to used such a practical example,but that's what came to my mind first lol It's great to socialize online and you can meet some real soulmates but there's no guarantee these people will back you up physically,since they can be on the other side of the planet. If you're in trouble or,for example,you went to jail,yeah,you can rant about it online and get some support(if you have access to internet),but I doubt anyone will post your bail. Also,it's unhealthy to be stuck in the house all day,so you need friends that are :in flesh" to go out with and do activities together. In short,it's good to have both to satisfy your need to be welcomed and understood!

It seems like most people online remain just online friends. Most of the time, it seems like it will not even be for long. After a little while of not talking to someone anymore, it seems like both parties move on and never seem to look back. I had a friend that I new from offline before, we talked online for a very long time, even started chatting on the phone a bit, tried to mingle offline, and now we no longer talk via any medium. I have pretty much given up trying to find friends in either realm, I just rather have the assumption that if I befriend someone without the effort that seemingly backfires, then that is great. I am not sure what a friendship even entials anymore. I confide in my lover, as when I talk to most people it seems like it is usual idle chat. Most interactions with others I have seem to have alterior motives on one end or the other, if not both. It is not so much that I am jaded as far as humanity, but more that I realise I might be difficult to make friends with, as some people are put off by the idea that my partner is my number on priority. I suppose that would make a difficult friendship, in the "real world" or online.

Man is a social animal they say. One way or another we have to get out there and mingle with the others. You don't have to make friends, you just have to get out there and be with real people to know how the real world works. Anyways, as for your questions: * Is it really a friendship if it is online? IMHO, it could be. You can share good times and bad times online, but it can never be a replacement for the bonding and interaction we get from having friends in the real world. Let's say there's always one thing missing from an online friendship, and that is the tangibility and proof that who you are talking to is indeed the one talking to you. * If you have online-only friends, are you content with that, prefer it, or are you miserable and trying to make more friends outside the internet realm? It depends on the person. As for me, I can be content having friends online only, but one way or another I'm bound to make friends or meet people in the real world whether I like it or not. That's life. Cheers~

I like to think so online friends are a different medium,I look forward to receiveing discussions from regualar friends and they seem to think along the same lines as me,sometimes we don't agree but thats fine and part of a normal friendship.It is important to have friends off line as well to talk to to ,go out with.Talk problems over with and have a laugh or cry depending on how the day goes it is nice to have friends everywhere,when we go on holiday with the caravan club we meet the same people at different sites and catch up,the kids play together and we get along with the parents,work mates are something I miss sometimes as I have retired early.Some of them drop in now and again and we catch up on all the gossip.It is healthy to meet people and mix with them.The disabled or housebound must find internet friends valuable as if you cannot get out at least you can log on and have a chat to have some sort of social life.

Yes, I think Online friends are really friends. Well, some are and some aren't. Just bcause you have never met someone doesn't mean they are not your friend. There are sites where peopel connect and become friends. They start to email back and foirth and have even met off line for a day or two and taken pictures.

To me, online friends are just that same as the friends I know "offline". Some friends that you know, they are really good friends, but some are just "hi and bye" friends. It's the same for online friends too. I do have some really good friends that I know them from Internet, we do share and care about each other, these are real friendship. Internet is just a media for us to know each other, you can find real friend anywhere.

A friend of mine on a major social networking site has 350 plus friends and I have almost 700. The only thing is that I only personally know from meeting them offline about 20 of my 678 friends and he has met all of his from offline connections at parties, business functions and other events. I enjoy the friends that I meet online but I also want friends that I can mingle with in person, go out for coffee or lunch with, or to a movie. There is a definite difference in the type of friends that one attracts on sites.

I don't think so. You can't ever have that much of intimacy with a person sitting across the globe. Also the person you are seeing on line is not the real one, anyone can pretend to be good here and you simply can't believe them.

I think you can have real friends online, but I doubt it's the same as the ones with whom you can get up close and personal. However, there does seem to be a lot of people who find their significant other online. If personalities mesh, I guess it doesn't matter if it's face to face or online.

Me too thought the same for many times. I am perfect in every manner, especially, being true to others. but i got negative result from all those persons whom i trusted. anyway, i am not interested in creating online friends nowadays. But, true peoples are very rare to find in Internet!

I do believe that you can have some very good online friends. But as someone said earlier,,are these people who they really say they are. Sitting behind these moniters we can be anyone or anything we want to be. I have had and still have some very good online buddies,that i feellike I can talk to about anything.And most of them are always willing to listen to me vent about something that may be going on here at home,,,

i don't think so.

majority of my online friends are real friends. Some of them i met online and we also have been good friends for a long time and its nice to have such a relationship even online.

Friendship has only one definition HONESTY.and if two person on internet shows honesty hen only they can be friends otherwise not .If anyone or both of them cheats other then his will not be friendship.And friendship with a person whom we dont know anything then in this condition chances of becoming friends trusting other are very rare and

i think some friends online are real friends but its hard to figure it out since so many people act fake a lot.. i think it can be counted as socializing if its online.. may not be as good on you socially but its at least something

no i donot think so the physical interaction matters a lottt after all the person on other site might be fake only

I do believe in online friends because i have a peer group right now and we all met online and became friends. Before we were all strangers to each other and now we're real friends...we have fun together, share memories together through bad times and good times... It's really one or two in a million chances to make real friends online and I'm glad i found not only one but 5 true friends. It's us who holds the power to use the internet...we just have to put it into good use...

Online friends can comfort you thru chatting and emails and also its a means of communication to those friends far away from you.Most socialization site are only means of comunication for me.I can communicate with my friends ( real friends) anytime we want.Online friends are there to help just in case friends arent by your side to comfort.Although online friends can sometimes be considered real friends especially that they are always ready to help you in anything they can.