Is it Normal to Get Emotionally Attached to Friends on Social Sites?
By theSids
@thesids (22180)
Bhubaneswar, India
October 11, 2010 12:10am CST
I have been a member of quite a few social sites like Mylot. And over the period I have made many great friends on them. When any of them remains absent from the site for a while, I feel worried about them. This shows that I am getting emotionally attached to my friends.
I know that there is a sense of anonymity and I cannot be sure about many of these friends as they seem to be so very virtual. But I cannot resist myself getting attached with them.
Is this normal behavior or is anything wrong with me!
Share your views and opinions please.
Note:
My friends here any anywhere on the world of Internet, please dont mind me posting such a discussion. Sorry if I hurt you.
3 people like this
12 responses
@toniganzon (72551)
• Philippines
11 Oct 10
There's nothing wrong being involved with your online friends emotionally. For me it's quite normal unless you become so obsessed that you would stalk them, then that's entirely a different story that wouldn't make me add you as a friend. The concern that you're giving when you don't see them in a while is showing that you're just a sincere and thoughtful friend and nothing else.
In my case sometimes i get possessive and jealous when they would prefer to chat with another instead of me. SEe, i'm crazier than you and I still consider it normal. I just don't try to show that I get jealous. But i shrug it off easily coz i know it's not right.
So cheer up my friend, You're pretty normal as I can see it. I'll add you up now.
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
11 Oct 10
Hmmm,
Possessiveness is okay and I too get sometimes that possessive but obsession! That is something that should not happen and should be avoided.
You are right that at times it is always best to shrug off the jealousy and behave like a normal person... but the question is how long can you hide the emotions. At times they do come out and these outbursts might not be appreciated.
Thanks for sharing your views.
@toniganzon (72551)
• Philippines
12 Oct 10
For people who don't appreciate friends like we do, such an outburst won't be appreciated at all. But for those who think like we do, they'd sure be glad to have met us!
@iDivision (1412)
• Latvia
11 Oct 10
i think after some time you start to think how it would be to meet them in real life or what kind of a person are your virtual firends from social networks. its normal, since as a human beings we cannot live only for ourselfes, we are social beings and we need to socialize with others.
Also if you feel that everything what you and your virtual friends discussing, rading, writing uniting you all, then i cannot se whats wrong it being worried about friends, no mather where they live, what skin color they have and what they are working on.
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
11 Oct 10
Hi iDivision,
I too have many a times felt that some of these virtual friends were a reality and I had physically met them. I also feel that life would have been more fun and wonderful if that happened.
But then, there are times when I turn realistic and think that what we see on these sites is just a part of them and maybe when we would meet, we may not appreciate the person in 100%. Tough call but that might happen. So it is better that we stayed where we are and our friendship blossoms the way it is as of now.
Thanks for posting your views here.
1 person likes this
@iDivision (1412)
• Latvia
11 Oct 10
I dont think we must appreaciate everything 100% in other people because everyone have some not so good attributes and some very, very awesome attributes. For example from my now real time friends about 20% was my virtual friends previous, but then i meet tham, some just becouse they recognized me when saw me on street or some public measure. They knew who i am because i am active on twitter and write blog in my language. Of course there where some persons who was that kind of persons i though they are from social networks, but still i keep in contacts with them through social sites still.
@chiyosan (30183)
• Philippines
11 Oct 10
it is possible that you be attached with your friends from these social networks site - especially if you have spent a lot of times talking with them, sharing stuffs like you do with your friends(in this case, applications, games, comments, etc) We are humans, we are affectionate. we sure would be attached to people! We even are hurt when our phones, wallets, or pens break right.. so it is simply because we feel that we are affected with almost anything!
@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
11 Oct 10
I think this can happen quite easily once you start chatting to someone on a regular basis. You get to know what they are like and what their preferences are as a person. I have made some friends in this way although there would be a time when things would suddenly go silent and we would no longer chat and then it became quite uncomortable to begin a new conversation.
I think that it's perfectly normal to become attatched to your friends, this shows that a good bond of friendship has been built. I removed quite a few contacts from my list here on My Lot as we were just not chatting and quite a few of the contacts had referral links on their profile pages, there's nothing wrong with that but it wasn't entirely about friendship in my view. Andrew
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
11 Oct 10
Hi Andrew,
Yes, the chat ones are more close than others. But I feel that here on MyLot, and such similar sites(if there are any), we share emotions between friends and others - I agree that posts related to money and income are more frequent here but still, there are posts that are close to ones heart and there it all starts.
I miss some of mylotters here because I do not know why, I feel more attached to them and keep a regular watch on their discussions. I just wish I could mane some of them here...
@saphrina (31551)
• South Africa
11 Oct 10
Hi sweetie.
It's definately normal.
The more we interact with people, the more we get to know them.
We might never come to know them personally, but the attachment will be there and you will start to worry when not hearing from them.
We share in each others daily life's and that is where we get attached as we all have mostly the same problems, fears and happiness we face in life, no matter where you are from.
Take care.
TATA.
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
11 Oct 10
Agreed, I too believe the same. On social sites this happens more as we share many emotions of our friends and though we never have met them, the bonding and attachment are existent.
Also, I have some expectations from my Internet friends and a couple of them have not yet been fulfilled and there are times when I feel bad about this!
@jypsyjulia (912)
• United States
11 Oct 10
It's human instinct to attack ourselves to people, whether they're "real life" friends or online friends. It's completely normal; it's empathy. I also have gotten very attached to online friends. I've actually met some in real life and we've become best friends now :)
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
11 Oct 10
Wow you met a couple of your friends. Thats really great and I must say that you are a lucky one. I have been able to keep a few of these relations to telephonic chats only, but I do hope that I meet some of them in person.
Thanks for sharing your views.
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
18 Oct 10
I worry about my online friends. When they disappear I do worry. I always wish them well.
@Bibispark2 (195)
• Nigeria
11 Oct 10
theres nothing wrong with been emotionally attached but be careful of who you are being attached to.same thing happened to me that i liked this guy more than my physical friend.he is so caring that when i was stranded his sent me money...i really like him so much that i wish i will marry him...yet i have never seen him physically.it happens okay?
@pinkberryzz (189)
• Philippines
12 Oct 10
I guess it is. If you've made constant contact with your online friends then there's no reason not to be attached to them. Communication is a very powerful means of connecting to other people. There's nothing bad about being emotionally attached to friends online. But I should just remind you that anything if taken too much is not good. :)
@dheystine0126 (3)
• Philippines
11 Oct 10
Yes it's possible, bec sometimes you tend to talk with your friend or friends alot of times.. So you exchnge ideas and giving each other advice.. So you were already emotionally attached and can't go on with your particulars ways.. It's like your day is not that enough when you didn't talk to them..
