I Believe That Internet Friends Are Real
A few months ago, I went on a little rant in this group about treating your internet friends poorly by blocking them without a word or investigating them to see if they're a catfish after you've befriended them.
The post can be found here:
https://similarworlds.com/1572626-I-Believe-That-Internet-Friends-Are-Real/1762090-If-you-believe-your-internet-friends-are-real-too
However, in light of recent personal epiphanies, if you will, I've come to change my mind about some things I have said in that post. I still stand by a few things, particularly about suspecting and investigating someone of being a fake after you've already became friends. But about blocking your friends without explanation, let's talk about that...
First, let me just say that yes, I do think internet friends can be real friends. But even so, it's never quite on the same level as being friends with someone you know personally. Can you ever truly say you know someone personally when you only know them from the internet? No, I don't think you can. Your internet friends can be real good friends of yours but they are still just internet friends. If one of them ends up rubbing you the wrong the way or you otherwise don't want to be friends with them anymore for whatever reason and that's enough for you to want to block them, you do not owe them any explanation for doing so. It doesn't make you a shitty friend, it doesn't mean you don't value your friends (that's a ridiculous statement now that I think about it), it just means they were nothing more than an internet friend to you and that's okay.
When I made that post linked above, I was talking about internet friends as if they're friends you know in person but I've come to the realization that it's really not the same thing. If someone were to just stop being friends with someone they know irl without any explanation then yes, that would be pretty shitty and maybe bring into question how much they value their friends. But this isn't irl, this is the internet. Anything short of getting to know someone you met online through video chatting or phone calls or whatever (something on a more personal level), then I don't think you can truly say you know your internet friends personally like your real-world friends. Sure, they can still be real friends to you but how much of a friend can you be to one another when you don't [b]really[/b] know them and they don't [b]really[/b] know you?
Of course, this can also be a matter of personal perception. One can put as much as value into their internet friends as they do friends they know personally. I certainly do value all the friends I have here a great deal. I'm just trying to speak from a logical standing and stress that one severing ties with an internet friend without saying a word doesn't make them a poor friend, it just means you were an internet friend to them. If you get hurt because you thought you were something more to them, that's kinda your problem.
This isn't going to be too popular with some people, I know. But I'm just trying to be realistic about this. If it's any consolation, I'm also speaking as someone who's been dumped by online friends countless times. 🤷
The post can be found here:
https://similarworlds.com/1572626-I-Believe-That-Internet-Friends-Are-Real/1762090-If-you-believe-your-internet-friends-are-real-too
However, in light of recent personal epiphanies, if you will, I've come to change my mind about some things I have said in that post. I still stand by a few things, particularly about suspecting and investigating someone of being a fake after you've already became friends. But about blocking your friends without explanation, let's talk about that...
First, let me just say that yes, I do think internet friends can be real friends. But even so, it's never quite on the same level as being friends with someone you know personally. Can you ever truly say you know someone personally when you only know them from the internet? No, I don't think you can. Your internet friends can be real good friends of yours but they are still just internet friends. If one of them ends up rubbing you the wrong the way or you otherwise don't want to be friends with them anymore for whatever reason and that's enough for you to want to block them, you do not owe them any explanation for doing so. It doesn't make you a shitty friend, it doesn't mean you don't value your friends (that's a ridiculous statement now that I think about it), it just means they were nothing more than an internet friend to you and that's okay.
When I made that post linked above, I was talking about internet friends as if they're friends you know in person but I've come to the realization that it's really not the same thing. If someone were to just stop being friends with someone they know irl without any explanation then yes, that would be pretty shitty and maybe bring into question how much they value their friends. But this isn't irl, this is the internet. Anything short of getting to know someone you met online through video chatting or phone calls or whatever (something on a more personal level), then I don't think you can truly say you know your internet friends personally like your real-world friends. Sure, they can still be real friends to you but how much of a friend can you be to one another when you don't [b]really[/b] know them and they don't [b]really[/b] know you?
Of course, this can also be a matter of personal perception. One can put as much as value into their internet friends as they do friends they know personally. I certainly do value all the friends I have here a great deal. I'm just trying to speak from a logical standing and stress that one severing ties with an internet friend without saying a word doesn't make them a poor friend, it just means you were an internet friend to them. If you get hurt because you thought you were something more to them, that's kinda your problem.
This isn't going to be too popular with some people, I know. But I'm just trying to be realistic about this. If it's any consolation, I'm also speaking as someone who's been dumped by online friends countless times. 🤷
