Do online friendships feel easier or harder than real-life ones?

For me, online friendships feel easier at first because there’s less pressure, more time to think before responding, and it’s easier to connect through conversation instead of social performance. I’ve always found it easier to open up through text than face-to-face interaction.

At the same time, I’ve noticed that even when I genuinely want friendship and connection, maintaining online friendships long term can become emotionally exhausting for me. , socially drained even if I like the person. I’m wondering if anyone else experiences this contradiction where you want connection emotionally, but your social energy or nervous system struggles with sustained interaction over time.