Are online friends just as important as offline friends?

[Savygriffs 5,021]

Of course!! They love me for who I am! 

[Splashee 28,537]

I can't help thinking that my offline status in Discord makes me an "offline friend" 

[dead account 2,703]

Of course! I mean online friends are offline friends, just far away.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,271]

To me, friends are friends, plain and simple. I have basically no offline social life, for many reasons, so online is nearly my only option. I've met many great people, lot's of cool peeps on this site alone and I appreciate all of them. ^-^ I am not the best at being social and keeping up conversation, but I still try to show my appreciation in full. 

[Props Valroa 26,027]

Of course. Why wouldn’t they?

[Xe__or 4,376]

Nah; online friends are rarely as important to me as offline ones. As a matter of fact, I don't really have "online friends" ; I know better than to trust strangers on the internet. Don't trust anyone you can't see too much.

[SparklingSwirls 21,261]

These days most friendships are online anyways (thanks ‘orona). I’d like to meet more of my internet friends in real life!

Edited October 26, 2020 by SparklingSwirls

[Yakamaru 3,074]

If I hadn't met all the awesome people over the internet that I know now I wouldn't be in the position that I am currently in. 

I have found a sense of purpose, a sense of.. belonging. It is hard to describe. There are a few whose existence means more to me than what any language can describe. 

So yes, they are indeed just as important. And for antisocial introverted social recluses like myself, they are better because I don't nearly as much get my energy drained as I find text-based interactions easier. 

[Stardust 640]

Yeah and for some things it is easier. Some of my online friends I meet offline too if I can and they are close enough. The internet friends I have had over the years have really helped me a lot and get better.