Do you find Internet communication as fulfilling as Real Life communication?

[Ando333 135]

Then there is the other question...  Do any of the people you know on the net truly reach the level of being friends and not simply high acquaintances?  I mean if you don't even know the person's real name, and have never met in person, can they be? 

TBH I don't consider my internet "friends" as real close friends. There are some I really like and love talking with but the simple fact of depending on a screen to communicate with them makes it hard for me to consider them real friends. It's nothing personal against them. I need real life interaction to reach the "maximum level" of it. It's easier to get the other levels on the internet, but not 100% of it.

[Nerdy Luigi 2,065]

Honestly, I've preferred internet communication over real life communication. It's usually much easier to tell what's a joke (hints are less subtle), it's also much easier for me to even accomplish because real world communication feels weird to me, it makes me feel so awkward. (probably because I am...). Though real-life communication is something I've found to be important in certain situations, as in a relationship or anything that's supposed to depict a sort of emotion. Still bigger fan of online though just because it is MUCH easier.

[Dreambiscuit 9,890]

Interacting with people in person can be rewarding; I can read their expressions and body language and get that instant feedback on what they think, how they react and whether or not I'm annoying them. Also, I can give them a pat on the shoulder, shake hands or even hug. Communication can include a lot more than mere talk and has a vast variety of different tools. Human contact can be a great thing and it's the most natural way to communicate. 

On the internet I can collect my thoughts, select the proper wording, make edits and communicate with clarity. But it just seems a little less personal because it takes some of that spontaneity and human imperfection out of the equation, and I think people need that to some extent. 

[Techno Universal 2,575]

Well because I'm secretly a brony and I'm quite shy with certain things in real life I find that the internet is the solution to getting my theories an thoughts on MLP herd and seen by others. It really stimulates me when I get someone else that understands to know about my thoughts even if we've never seen or talked each other before. So I basically prefer internet communication for certain subjects that would have a massive mark on my reputation in real life and with MLP my parents might not understand and take it the wrong way or the spread it to everyone so I simply can't risk it.

Edited January 30, 2017 by Techno Universal

[Tropico 226]

Yes i do, even more. but because im super shy and in real life i barely cant speak and express myself. and i block myself or i get bored.

 

here online i have time to think what to say and erease what i wrote to rewrite it better. and to anwser when i want (im pretty solitary). i hate to speak at the telephone/whatsapp audio/skype tho. i get more nervious and akward than speaking in real life. 

 

also emojis      

Edited January 30, 2017 by Tropico

[Thuja 3,659]

​It would have to depend on the person but I wish I could talk to more people irl, most people I tend to talk to are online though.

[TBD 17,254]

I perfer talking though anything but seeing face to face with other people. Either way to me,  I don't see much of the different other then not hearing their voice and tone. 

[Sovereign Leader Rarity 12,006]

I actually prefer communicating to you all online then in real life.

 

Not only do I like the thought of having acquaintances on the other side of the world, but I'm also very unsocial and lazy and I really dislike meeting new people in person. 

[Kiri 7,289]

Hmm...I find that both communication types can be quite meaningful.

 

I enjoy conversations in-person for the reasons stated above. It just feels super comforting when someone is physically there, especially on a rough day. I also like talking while walking or participating in activities. I used to be able to talk on the phone for hours on end as a youngster, but nowadays, I much prefer actually being in-person with a friend. One drawback to texting is that you can't always discern tone, and not everyone uses emotes, so it's nice being able to read facial expressions and to hear vocal inflections.

 

That being said, I have had some very deep and open conversations online. As y'all have pointed out, people often feel that they can address personal things more easily via online. It's also a plus to be able to think out what you're going to say at your own pace. I'm also not the best at small talk, and am more comfortable hopping right into topics online than I would be IRL, unless it's with a close friend! Plus, it's awesome meeting people from all over the world! I tend to be shy, so I'm quicker to fully express myself through chatting. ^^

[SONICchaos 824]

I CRAVE personal human contact. I like the feeling of looking at someones reactions when I tell a joke or be able to hug someone goodbye or be able to walk and talk. I feel like im making that human connection. I feel much more satisfied with interacting with people IRL than over a message, text or messenger. Thats not to say I hate or even dislike using messenger and text. I find it a good supplement to keep in contact with long distance friends and an easier experience when I want to ask a quick simple question but overall it is just a supplement and if I try and use it too much without human contact I start becoming depressed and more withdrawn.

[Snow Frostflame 3,568]

I prefer talking face to face with a person, opposed to chat, or mic. Though I need both up close, and online interaction or I get depressed.

[aoEAF2FBvC0MIo2Q 3,673]

That really depends on who it is. It is possible to form a deep, intimate connection with an online friend and I could name two.

[Invincible 2,091]

No, I don't feel the same way I feel after a real life conversation, after an internet communication. I feel more guarded and self conscious when actually talking to people, and after a while I feel mentally spent. Not so much around the internet.

[Hypn0ticD 1,213]

I find face to face conversations to be a real pain in the ass, so I very much prefer to do my socializing online. Yeah, we all fall into a persona online, but there's also the ease of finding someone who shares the same interests, ability to form thoughts before typing them down, and you don't feel emotionally drained aftreward.

 

Online conversation all the way!

[碇 シンジン 27,431]

absolutely I've found it very helpful

[Yakamaru 3,127]

Yes, I do find it as fulfilling as real life communication. i find it a lot more fulfilling than real life communication.

I don't have to talk with people 101 and find things to talk about. It's at times hit and miss topics.

On the internet? Shit's already there. Topics are already there. We can share videos. We can share pictures. We can share channels. We can share memes.

+++

Internet communication>Real life communication.

Edited March 8, 2018 by Yakamaru

[Narcissus 355]

It may be more natural to communicate in person, speaking to someone face-to-face, but I'm not a natural sort of girl. I don't find personal interaction rewarding as a general rule. I prefer to say what I have to say, hitting the 'Post' button and leaving it at that. I can walk away and not have to make pretenses of any sort. 

[Retro*Derpy 3,186]

I dont like any irl communication, period. I'd much prefer online or texting instead. 

[Guest]

If I didn't find internet communication as fulfilling as real life communication, I probably wouldn't spend hours and hours on the internet interacting with my online friend(s) while accidentally neglecting the real life communication thing.  With close online friends I often know their name, what they look like and have heard their voice at least somewhere.

[Monsoon 1,662]

Honestly internet communication isn't that fulflling for me because it's hard to have a conversation because most of the time I noticed that conversations will just stop out of nowhere whereas a conversation in real life a conversation will have a satisfying conclusion 

[Silenz Veritas 171]

I have super-severe anxiety + social anxiety so if not for online interaction, I would have no interaction with others at all.  I am blessed that my work can be done remotely, in my office at home. But, I literally do not have any friends who are people who are local that I hang out with and I'm ok with that.

[Soren Peregrine 4,606]

Online interaction for me is never truly fulfilling. Sure you can get pretty close to people online, but you are just typing words back and forth. Even the teenage craze over social media apps such as Snapchat where you just send pictures and words back and forth still ends up being really shallow, more so even than online forums. It is fulfilling to interact with someone physically, because you are actually seeing them face to face, and having to actually use your mouth and give social cues with your face and body. Sure it can be pretty nerve-wracking for me as an extreme introvert in a large group of people, but I still love having heart to heart discussions with one to a few people at a time, and here's the reality: People need people. Humans are beings that need physical people to have relationships and stay sane. You wonder why people go crazy when they get put in solitary confinement? Because they have nobody to interact with and talk to physically.

 

Here's the thing: I think online interactions such as the kind we have here on this forum actually do a lot of good as far as being able to articulate your thoughts well through writing, good use of grammar, etc. However, in no way should they replace physical interaction and relationships.

[Guest]

I will always prefer interacting face to face.

[Olly 1,011]

Not at all. But it's better than nothing and it's pretty much all I've got 

[aoEAF2FBvC0MIo2Q 3,673]

Pff no.

Well, I've mostly communicated online via text so maybe that skews my frame of reference.

There's just something about about the people actually being there that even full-blown video chat can't really capture. Can't get more HD and high fidelity than real life, can you?