general Internet Friends or Real Friends?

[stripper 252]

I used to have a lot of RL friends for someone as introverted as I am. But I realized a few things and left all of them, leaving me with no more friends. It didn't harm me at all. I don't need friends and I greatly benefited from this. My friends were people I knew from playing Smash Bros Melee at tournaments. There were no connections beyond that and I never wanted them that way

 

As for online, I feel less restrained in my friendships because I still have a degree of anonymity and I can hide behind text. I'm much more comfortable sharing my private life there than with friends IRL

 

But I'm not a friend and I don't even have many online friends. Others consider me as a friend, but I don't in either direction. I'm a tool. Benefiting others on my own strategies is much more important than chatting with people and whatever, and this is my subjective value. More people benefit better this way than me being socially awkward with them. I don't even talk IRL

[Scaredypants~ 133]

I have no friends online or in real life other than my boyfriend who is also my best friend 

People don't really like to be around me and I'm fussy on who I like as a friend so... ah well that's life.

If people saw who I really am like my boyfriend does (and accepts me for it) they wouldn't like me.

[BastementSparkle 20,326]

Online friends for me. The best friend I've ever had in my entire life is an online friend, I've never had a friend as good as him offline. I'm way more honest and comfortable with him than I am with anyone in real life.

 

 But in reality, I think it can be either, depending on the person. There's no concrete "This type of friend is better" because it's different for everyone. To one person it may be online friends, to another it may be offline friends, to another it may be both.

 

 That said, the "Real friends are better 100% of the time!" is an attitude that sometimes annoys me. It's fine if someone believes it for themselves, but whenever it get's said to me it always feels like someone is trying to rub it in my face, for some reason. Like a "My Friends are better than yours! Haha!"

 

 Friendship isn't a sport, you don't have to "Beat" anyone.

[The Diver 760]

I like both kinds of friends but I prefer IRL friends because I feel I have a better connection with people when there is no screen in the way. I became good friends with over half the guys in my class in tech school and we ended up becoming like brothers. We even celebrated at the local bar when one of our Marine friends lost his virginity! True story. :-P 

 

I've had some good Internet friends that became IRL friends though! I ended up being my BBFF's (Brony Best Friend Forever) Best Man at his wedding all the way in Iowa. That friend I met online on Twitter.  

[Chrylestia600 1,307]

I don't have any friends at all in real if life right now, so I'd say internet friends purely because of that.

[Baykush 328]

Well, I've always found it ridiculously hard and exhausting to make and specially to maintain friendships, but by nature I'm actually a very talkative person, so I have the constant need for it. I haven't had a single real friend I've been able to maintain for a long time, and I can't really be myself with them. Online friendships have made it easier for me to find people that share similar interests or at least listen to what I want to say, and I like how we can keep things a little "distant", even though I've told them things I haven't told anyone else. That sometimes makes me worry about the authenticity of my relationship with them, but I know we do care about each other and that's good enough for me. The bad part is that I can't hang out with them in real life though, at the moment I have no social life so if I want to go out (because I do like going out) I have to do it just myself, and while I do have fun it would be better with some company. That's kind of the only downside of online friends in comparison to "real" ones, so I choose online friends. That's just my experience though.

[KatonRyu 1,033]

For me there isn't much difference aside from whether or not I occasionally see them IRL. I have a number of internet friends who became my friends IRL as well, and I have a number of IRL friends I now mostly speak online. Qualitatively, there isn't a whole lot of difference.

[Surprise 1,003]

When real life friends aren't present in my life, I stick to any chance I have with internet ones. Although it isn't much for me either way. I'd prefer real ones if I get the chance.

 

Can't really trust much of everyone I meet on here

[MuttonYolk 63]

Real life ones have the objective potential to be better than internet ones, it's just they're so much harder to find/make. I've had moderate luck in that department, but internet relationships have been my primary outlet of socialization as of recent.

[Member Berry 1,217]

I have more online friends than friends in real life. I'm selective with people I hang around with in real life. I can't deal with having a LOT of friends.

[Jon the VGNerd 885]

I have more online friends than friends in real life. I'm selective with people I hang around with in real life. I can't deal with having a LOT of friends.

 

You and me both. Even one of my RL friends secretly backstabbed me after finding out that he was gay, and as much as I wanted to support him, he basically lost all of my respect for deleting me from Facebook. Its just downright unacceptable.

[Stormlight 1,371]

In reality, real friends are hard to come by compared to internet friends. Though that doesn't mean I dont have any REAL friends.

 

I've managed to make some friends that became close to me, others are just there and gone the next. My circle of friends are small, but that's how I enjoy it. Having too much friends isn't right for me.

 

As for friends I make on the internet, it's much more easier to make a good first impression and make bonds that aren't seen possible with real life ones. When I was young I didn't know how to make friends at all, so I left the real world and went on the internet, into forums. It helped me a lot with social skills and learn about different types of conversations.

 

Now, I'm not as active online as I was a few years back but without the people I've befriended online, I wouldn't have the confidence to make friends in real life

[Sovereign Leader Rarity 12,006]

Real friends? Real friends are STUPID!!!!!! I......I......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

 

 

[Starlighty 956]

I am okay with real life friends because you can go out and just do whatever or stay at eachother houses eating junk food and just hang but at the same time when you grow up you can't really do that cause you have all these responsibility now and its hard to fit in... (yes real friends make time) but for me I dont ever see my real life friends for this reason. 

 

 

NOW my online friends I talk to a lot more and can have a lot of different convos with.... BUT then too you can still drift apart if life gets in the way... I hardly speak to my online friends... here and now but with such a busy scheduled its hard....  (but still easier then REAL life friends because they actually do take the time to talk to you unlike real life friends)

 

SIDE NOTE: RELATIONSHIPS online really are hard because of this reason also so you really have to be committed to eachother. 

[Sweet Pen 1,348]

Real friends of mine just don't wish more to communicate, or are busy doing their job and caring about family -and some are on the criminal life, ffs-.

 

For now, I would say internet friends, but for me can be both, depends a lot of the person that i'm talking to, but hey, mostly of the real friends i've made, I met them all on the internet.

[Dreamcatcher 31]

My internet friends are my real friends I'm not one for socials so internet is just the right amount of friendship for me not too much, not too little while partly doing things I really want to do like play Xbox.

[Zachary 5,521]

I think Internet friends is better than Real Friends

 

I don't have a single Friend in IRL.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

I have quite a few online friends and real friends. Sadly, my parents are completely against online friends...ugh...

[Member Berry 1,217]

You and me both. Even one of my RL friends secretly backstabbed me after finding out that he was gay, and as much as I wanted to support him, he basically lost all of my respect for deleting me from Facebook. Its just downright unacceptable.

Real life friends cause too much drama >.> They also want you to like.... do stuff lol. I like keeping to myself a lot of the time.

[Violet_S 785]

To me, a friend is a friend no matter where it comes from. I have lots of friends in real life and in the internet as well and I consider them equally important ^.^ 

[Ganondorf8 11,307]

These days I only have online friends though to be honest I don't really know them all that well. With regards to real-life friends, I used to have a few of them though they ended up moving on with their lives and I rarely make contact with them.

[Choros Isorropai 409]

this will be odd, as i will be analyzing myself as i talk, just to show the complexities i am faced with.

 

its hard for me to keep friends, as it is rare for me to find them to begin with.

​sappy entrance for dramatic build, seeking sympathy/empathy.

​and the internet is a good way to find other unique individuals...

​bring fourth a quality defining self, so all will be included.

​but the one bad apple spoils the bushel, and motives are questioned.

​colloquial for quick laughs, but imply innocence prior to saying it.

​but who I am, IS who I am. I don't want to be seen any other way.

​make a statement, stick by it. must be true, unless its not.

​(personal note to readers, this is HELLA harder than you think... circular logic. lol)

​ah, addition of "personalization" to emphasize speaking to the reader.

​i would love to see the world prosper, and all of us get along...

​something everyone can agree with, but not on...

​----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

with that said, there is always going to be doubt with anyone for any reason.

the problem with online is anyone can "be" who they want. or even be "who" they want.

so i don't know what to do, i can say what i want... but you may not believe it.

i don't even know if the "friends" i have now will be in contact in 6 months.

 

but i will be me, and i will survive...

[Mast. Equestos/Gigas 340]

Typically for me I have psn friends online and they talk sometimes in private conversations.

 

In the real life however, its another story. I just don't trust anyone at all on how twisted the world is. 

Edited January 29, 2017 by Unovas

[Jon the VGNerd 885]

Real life friends cause too much drama >.> They also want you to like.... do stuff lol. I like keeping to myself a lot of the time.

 

Not to mention that even your best friend would end up taking advantage of you and making your life feel miserable. I know I have, though wasn't taken advantage, but did had a similar outcome.

[SONICchaos 824]

I CRAVE real human interaction.

 

I can substitute text or internet conversations and settle for that but not for long. Its this deep rooted need in me to be wanted and accepted since I dont think i've ever been. I acctaully developed severe depression 15 years ago that has lasted to this day over this need to be be apart of a group and wanted but i've never felt like I was included or important enough. Still I try to be a good friend and be sociable when I can so I can make more friends but I admit it has turned into something of an unhealthy obsession.

 

Still who doesnt want to be accepted and apart of a group?