I've made friends online that I thought were friends but honestly I just don't know ..people are flaky and unpredictable at times ...one minute you may feel close to them then the next thing you know the rug feels like it's been pulled right from under your feet ...so...I'm very cautious these days ...at least that's been my experience...everyone's is different

Yes. But online friendships are harder to maintain (in duration and boundaries).

But I am also the type to not get anxious if there is no contact. I also don’t have high expectations for friendship.

Oops, I accidentally voted no on the poll, so you can subtract 1 from the no side and add 1 to the yes side, lol...

But in general...yeah? I mean in general I've never had friends all my life, and still don't...be it in real life or online.

But a friendship doesn't automatically just become imaginary or non-existent just because it's not in person. Even though it's not in person it's still real life, basically. And it's perfectly valid.

It's the same as offline friends. You'll encounter flakey or weird people you thought were friends. It's a learning experience.

I've known my best friend since 2018 and she's in Indonesia. Never had any issues

Sure they are. It's a different form of interaction but it doesn't mean the people on the other side aren't people.

Actual friends, yes.
Some random person you are chatting with that day, you can't know.

They can be but are more likely to disappear than real life friendships. Being able to sit down together in each other's presence & have a cup of coffee is a stronger experience than many things online.

Yes, I met two of mine in person

I truly believe that online friends are just as real as they are in real life. I have a bestie and special sis that I've had in my life for over 2 1/2 years now on here. She is just as real as any person in real life. I trust her more than anyone. The boundaries issue is difficult.....with some men on here.....I don't have many guy friends on here or in real life. To me no means no....don't continue to cross that boundary!

Very much so. A connection with a person is a connection no matter where it's found. My bestie is here and we've been like sisters for over two years. The key is found in who you trust, keeping your circle small, and the investment on both sides...
Just like you would outside these virtual walls. Ya know, that place where fakeness exists the same if not more.

They definitely can be. The main reason why it sometimes seems like they are not is that it's easier for more casual acquaintances to be inconsistent or evasive when they don't have to face you in real life. There are many friends in real life who would flake on you just as bad if they could get away with it. Some do it regardless.

I think it depends on the amount of communication you have with online friends i mean if your engaging with each other a lot and on a personal level especially if its face time well then my answet is yes it you want flakey friends you will attract flakey friends i keep my online circles small and tight this keeps the deadwood out.

I think the important thing to remember about friendship is that there are gradients. Most friendships, online fall under the category of, “casual acquaintance or friendship” because realistically, no matter how much you talk, even if they give really good advice, and you can tell them personal things, there’s only so much support they can give you in your real life.

It’s not as though the people you bond with online and their emotional support doesn’t matter at all.

I think it’s reasonable to say, though that casual acquaintances and casual friends you have in real life aren’t a substitute for ‘close/best friends’ either.

Yes, they can. Online and real life relationships are usually what you make them. It takes effort to maintain friendships in either world.

in my experience (your mileage may vary) they are transitory.

a couple of the best ones I had are no longer here and left no forwarding address.

Obviously you need to evaluate everyone independently. There are both here and it isn't all that hard to figure out who is real and who is not.

Hmmm....so many great answers so far. Have you made any good friends online?
I certainly have.

I think it can go either way, but it's more likely to not be a trustworthy relationship.

I've always maintained that this is the place where my imaginary friends and acquaintances hang out

In an Internet sort of way. Some can actually be quite feal and good

Honestly, idk anymore. Online or irl.

I will be your friend
PM me

It is much easier to be fooled on line (catfished and such). But there definitely can be real friendships too.

Some of them have stuck around a lot longer and more consistently than any friend I've ever had in real life, so I'd say so. :)

It can be whatever you make of it.
Just don't expect miracles of offline people that you wouldn't in real.

Real in the sense that I care about the genuine friends I make whether online or otherwise

I sure think so. To me, it’s just easier to feel close to people you’re not really close to, though. That anonymity can erase the boundaries we normally have in place that slowly break down over time in person. What would be a heavy, bonding conversation in person can be a matter of course here that doesn’t necessarily connect. You just have to learn a different set of cues to pick out what’s real.

I think they're real but I put them more in the category of Work Friends.

I would like to say yes , and in most cases it is real. But I have been fooled. Someone I trusted and confided in for years turned out not to be a friend at all.

I voted yes but there are lots of exceptions...

They can be, I've made some lasting ones online

I have a couple of very good online friends!

Read into the INTERNET what you like.

real as climate change...

In the olden days there was a thing called 'pen pals'.

People who hadn't necessarily met would write each other letters.

Online friends are the bastard mutated child of that rather innocent pastime. :)

Yes I would think so

Some are.

Some can be.

I think so.
I've made great online friends.

Just like friendships in real life, some are genuine, some are bullshit.

They are. We all experience fake friends in both real life and online though. A fake friend can usually go unnoticed a bit longer online though. It's easier to hold the mask up.

They can be. People talk about flaking out or not lasting forever but not all friendships are meant to last forever or mean that the person is an always there rock. Real life or online. It doesn't diminish the fact it still has a value.

A few of them for sure