Fake Friends? I don't think so
By AnjaP
@Rollo1 (16679)
Boston, Massachusetts
January 24, 2016 7:07am CST
I was surprised to receive the package containing my memory sticks yesterday, but very pleased and they are all installed. I notice that myLot still crashes my flash, but that appears to be a problem with Chrome and so I am using Opera right now.
I wonder what has been going on around here during my absence. I haven't been around much for a month.
I have often wondered what I would do with myself if I weren't online as much, and I still really don't know but there are a lot of half-knitted things lying around and my house is much cleaner than usual.
Anyway, a million things went through my head that you might have had to read about if I had been spending time online, but be grateful that you were spared.
I read today that out of the hundreds of friends people gather on social media, only about 4 of them are actual friends. I guess it depends on how you define that. I think that if you hang out together and notice when the other person is gone or sad or sick, then you're friends. What makes these researchers think we require their definitions?
Well, maybe we don't really know each other, and the researchers would consider that we aren't "real" friends. All I know is that after the Bubblews had burst, the sight of a familiar name here always put a smile on my face. If that's being fake friends, I will take it.
Most of your Facebook friends don’t care about you and probably wouldn’t even sympathise with your problems, according to a new study. Many people have hundreds of Facebook friends. But people can only really depend on four of them, on average, according t
33 people like this
34 responses
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
24 Jan 16
Mine neither. I think there is more going on when there are problems than just which system people use.
3 people like this
@BethieAnnie (818)
• Dayton, Ohio
25 Jan 16
@Rollo1 I have more online friends than I do in the real world. I would agree though, on Facebook only a handful of people are real friends, then another 20 or so are my family. My other 39 people are people who dont care about me!
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
24 Jan 16
I use Chrome and that very seldom happens. I tried Opera but it had too many problems.
4 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (50528)
• United States
24 Jan 16
I have been chatting with you since July of 2014. I think that makes us friends
4 people like this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
25 Jan 16
Wow, time really flies, doesn't it? That was in my early days on Bubblews. Things have changed a lot, but our friendships haven't. I think it's great that so many of our friends there are here now. I miss some who didn't make the transition, don't you?
4 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (50528)
• United States
28 Jan 16
@Rollo1 oh yes, there are several that I really miss.
@BethieAnnie (818)
• Dayton, Ohio
25 Jan 16
@Rollo1 I do, I just found Mandy Lynn today. She came to MyLOT just last month. The bubblews bust may have been awhile ago, but they are still finding us. With time, maybe the rest of our friends will come back.
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
24 Jan 16
I don't think the friends here are fake, just different. Flash here is glitchy for me too, may need to get my flash upgraded not sure
3 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
25 Jan 16
@Rollo1 ironically I have more issue on the work pc when I have to use foxfire or IE
@softbabe44 (5816)
• Vancouver, Washington
24 Jan 16
That seems like it could be true sometimes.
3 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
24 Jan 16
I not only noticed, but I missed you. Glad you are fine and back sharing your own delightful brand of humor.
3 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
24 Jan 16
@Rollo1 Don't fret about being true to who you are. You are delightfully quirky.
2 people like this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
24 Jan 16
I think I can probably depend on a few more than four of my Fb friends. Friendship is quite difficult to define because it can mean different things to different people.
3 people like this
@nottoooldtowrite (2715)
• Philippines
24 Jan 16
I have just started here and I am really glad to see familiar names and faces.
3 people like this
@nottoooldtowrite (2715)
• Philippines
24 Jan 16
@Rollo1 oh yes I heard good things about myLot :) so glad to be here.
2 people like this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
12 Mar 16
Funny enough, what you say in your post is mostly how they define a friend in this article. Someone who would express sympathy for your bad news, you talk to on a regular basis, and misses you when you haven't been around. I would push the definition further to say a real friend is someone who you feel comfortable discussing personal issues and short comings with, and would find a way to help financially if a need arose for you...if possible.
This being said, I actually believe this article is correct. Simply because there are people in the world who are always trying to get over in real life. Lying to you, telling you what you want to hear, and making things seem good on the surface. But as soon as you need them for something real they disappear.
If that is the case up close and in person, than its more than likely what they say is true simply because ITS EASIER TO PORTRAY A FACADE ONLINE. Think about the Catfishing phenomenon. You have track of all the things you have said to a person, you can talk and make it seem that you are actually there for a person because all you have to do is log in and type. Heck you don't even have to use a picture of yourself! But if it came down to something serious, many of them would not be there for you.
@sgbrown (1638)
• United States
25 Jan 16
I have lots of "real life" friends but only a few that are really close friends. I think I have a few "online" friends here too. I miss them when I don't "see" them for a while and care about what happens in their lives. If that is being a "fake" friend, I will take it too!
1 person likes this
@mk6195 (65)
• Bilaspur, India
16 Feb 16
I have read the referred research report in my local newspaper.......
Me to doesn't agree with the result.... Through Facebook and other social medium i have found many friends whom i don't expect to see in person for my whole life, but I can say they are my friends...
In my opinion any person with whom we interact, feel, share whats going around with our life is our friend weather they can physically present with us or virtually if they can connect with us...
I am found of reading books and i have many a times come across the reference of Pen Pals.. people who use to interact solely via letters... Today's social media is the same thing with a more effective and convenient medium.........
