Virtual friends and relationships
By buddha3
@buddha3 (1026)
India
October 15, 2011 2:32pm CST
These days we are so much addicted to internet that we have distanced ourselves from the real world in many ways. But sometimes I feel that virtual friends are more caring, loving and supportive than the real ones. I can never believe that they are virtual. They have entered deep into my heart that I've started feeling my virtual friends as real ones and I share a lot more with them than with others.
What do you guys feel? Have you experienced anything special with virtual friends?
1 person likes this
11 responses
@huilichan8 (1378)
• Singapore
15 Oct 11
In e past, I got to know someone fm another website. We chatted via emails, etc. Gradually, we developed quite a strong bond w each other. Finally, we met up last yr. So far, this is e only virtual friend w whom I hv shared a lot of things and w whom I hv developed a close bond.
@gayop2091 (68)
•
16 Oct 11
Hello i dont prepfer any virtual friends because in this case,those person didnt met in person we dont know what that person would that be maybe our life may in danger that they are just assuming that they are good but in the end they want something more than what we are expected with.. So therefore we we must not give our full trust to virtual friends but i am not rationalizing all poeple maybe some are good and not.
@buddha3 (1026)
• India
16 Oct 11
hey, gayop, you are right in a way. We can't know if a person is really the same as he/she pretends to be. Even after being together for many years, we can't understand our real friends fully. So, it's pretty difficult with virtual ones. But we can't generalise it. There are both good and people everywhere. Of course we must be extra careful with virtual friends.
@mammots (3209)
• Philippines
15 Oct 11
i have lots of friends from another website but only two of them i have allowed to be my friend also in facebook. i am very cautious about forming deep friendships and relationships with my virtual friends because of several very tragic incidence that happened here in my country. every Filipino is being cautioned by the authorities to be very extra careful when meeting up with friends they meet through the internet!
@buddha3 (1026)
• India
16 Oct 11
Mainly people get cheated online when trying to find a job or a partner. We have made facebook integral part of our lives, but that is where most people get cheated on.
Internet has grown so fast and has taken such deep roots in our daily life that it's difficult to control the mishaps! Only our own intelligence can save us in virtual world so we can take only the positives from it.
@buddha3 (1026)
• India
16 Oct 11
I am also very choosy in making friends online, no matter it's facebook or any other site. I created facebook account and left it for couple of years!! Then I came back and just added a few friends from another site. It's only now that I've added many real life friends there but still I'm not very active there. I don't know why I feel bored and can't spend more than 10 or 15 minutes on FB
@mammots (3209)
• Philippines
16 Oct 11
that is the main reason why i have allowed only two of my friends from TAGGED to crossover and be my friends in FACEBOOK too because all my personal information is in FACEBOOK. almost all my friends in FACEBOOK are very close and intimate and well trusted friends. if one of my friends in FACEBOOK will cheat on me i would surely be the saddest person alive:(
@jaiho2009 (39140)
• Philippines
16 Oct 11
One thing I am sure why virtual friends are caring and loving is,because we cannot touch them and we cannot feel them.
So, the only means to show their love and care is when we are chatting with them, they really give us attention and time to talk with.
That's really a great feeling to feel the importance given to us.
Have a good day 
@allknowing (142130)
• India
16 Oct 11
We all feel this way but there is a huge difference between virtual and real contacts in that in the virtual relationship there is no commitment as much as one sees in the real world. The entire approach to friendship is different and it is taxing when it comes to the real world. If for some reason there is discord in a virtual relationship one can just walk away but not so in the real world. A broken friendship will haunt one specially when one meets face to face.
@buddha3 (1026)
• India
16 Oct 11
Wow, lovely! I sometimes think if not for internet I would've never in my life even imagined to have overseas friends except, of course, if I went abroad for job or education. It also allows us to know many interesting things about different countries, cultures and languages. It's real fun.
katie, please try to keep in touch with them forever, as you said. Just imagine how nice it would be when you flashback after many years and maybe you may even meet in real!
@writersolutions10 (497)
• India
16 Oct 11
i too have virtual friends online and i used to chat with them to get more works online and earn money..
@GemmaR (8517)
•
15 Oct 11
I work online and, as a result of this, I am friends with many of my colleagues virtually rather than in real life. I think that it is absolutely fantastic that it is now possibly to be in touch with people on the other side of the globe at the touch of a button, and it's now something that a lot of us take for granted because of the fact that we can get these things so easily these days. You should be careful before deciding to meet somebody who you've met online, because they might not be who they've said they are, so make sure that you take a friend along with you if you should choose to do this.
@buddha3 (1026)
• India
15 Oct 11
You are right gemma. I've seen and also heard many instances where people got cheated on by their virtual friends, when they went to meet them in real.
But as far as I am concerned, I've had very sweet memories with my online friends. Many of them have lost the touch with me now but still those memories and the things that we shared with each other still lingers on my mind!
@tigeraunt (6326)
• Philippines
16 Oct 11
hello buddha,
i can relate to what you are saying. as time passes and with constant communication, you get to build a bond between you and virtual friends. you get to know more about them through communication. i wish to meet my virtual friends when i get the chance. but right now, i havent had that opportunity.
ann
@buddha3 (1026)
• India
16 Oct 11
Yes, human bonding is really very special and strange. We never know how we get bonded to some people so much, without our knowledge!
Meeting virtual friends of our own country is possible to some extent but overseas friends always have a less chance. I hope you can meet at least some of them.
By the way, have you ever thought of or tried to meet them tigeraunt?
@fannitia (2167)
• Bulgaria
15 Oct 11
I like the virtual communication because a can "see" people from distant places. This woldn't be possible without internet. Now it's not possible for me to meet some of them but I feel just like you - I feel free to talk about me more that in the real life.
But the friends from a social site or a forum can't do more than talk to you. The good friends in the real life are the ones who really supports us and are there when we are in need.
@buddha3 (1026)
• India
16 Oct 11
Yes, talking about REAL help it's done only by real life friends. But sometimes we need something more than these physical or materialistic help.
I never felt so comfortable to share some things with my real life friends as I did with virtual ones. And many of them have told I've been their best friend- more than their real ones. It feels great when you hear such compliments!
@rollylolly (2843)
• India
16 Oct 11
Hi buddha I have several virtual friends while networking and working online . Some are very close and I think I can rely on them . You are right that it would be very exciting if I could meet them but I am little shaky and apprehensive in this regard . May be you will think me narrow minded but I fear that they may turn out to be creepy and unscrupulous .
@buddha3 (1026)
• India
16 Oct 11
NO, not at all. Your thinking makes very much sense. It's always risky to meet them and it's not unnatural to be apprehensive about it.
But in some cases due to good bonding and the emotional understanding between two souls we can judge who is trustable and who is not. If we are very sure of ones credibility we can meet them, with some precautions.
@rollylolly (2843)
• India
16 Oct 11
Hi buddha I have several virtual friends while networking and working online . Some are very close and I think I can rely on them . You are right that it would be very exciting if I could meet them but I am little shaky and apprehensive in this regard . May be you will think me narrow minded but I fear that they may turn out to be creepy and unscrupulous .
