Are online friends as valuable as friends in real life?

friends are friends ... wether they r online or in real life ...

Yes. Online friends are just as valuable as RL friends. A friend is a friend regardless of how/where you meet them. RL or Online doesn't define or decide if someone can be a friend. I've met a few people online, infact, my best friend I met online and hopefully in the future it will be more, but for now just friends. She's a wonderful person. Pretty much, honestly, my best friends are the few I've met online.

In my experience people are often MORE truthful online! The "decency" barriers are down, and it is not as sugar coated as "real life" friends are.

I run an online business, and the people I work with are great! We have a real good feeling amongst the group, and get to know each other rather well.

There is another group on Yahoo, in the SA section that are mad as hutters, and I am addicted to their questions and answers. Huge fun, and they somehow become part of one's day.

Another small number of people here and there on the net that I feel really close to! But it is easy to lose touch with reality like that! It is great that you guys meet up and chat on the phone. But play it safe!

Friends are valuable, no matter where they are. :-)

Well i am with Yasmine on this one, friends are friends anywhere anytime.

The thing is, i have found people actually open up easier and become more friendly on line than in real life (thought that is not my case, i am the same on and off line). Which is due to the the sense of security they get form their concealed or hidden identity, they show their true characters and colours.

In a way this shortens the process of getting to know a person than in real life.

Salamu Alaikom sister !!

I feel like some of the friendships I've made here are stronger than my "real life " ones. You get to know people really well when you chat online. I've spent hours getting to know them. I think there's obviously a difference between them but it doesn't make either one more valuable. I do find that my online friends tend to be available more often to talk to in depth and I really appreciate that. I also don't have many muslim friends outside if YA so they mean sooo much to me.

That's really cool you've been able to meet your friends in person. I don't live near enough any of them, but insha'Allah i will someday.

Just cause you talk to somebody online doesn't make them any less valuable than the friends in real life. The other person from behind the computer has a life just as valuable as yours.

To me, on line friends are very important to my life and if you think about the amount of time you spend "on line' these days the cyber world gets more of your free time than the real world does.

Not that it is always a good thing, but on line friends are this generations pen friends and I still write to pen friends I was linked up to in grade school, so mine are very important.

On some levels they know just as much about me as my ordinary every day type friends do.

I can't say I care for one more then the other, for they fulfil different but very important roles in my life and I love all my friends dearly.

I am not a person who readily calls many people "friend",to me that is a special status and I have many acquaintances but I select my friends with care.

In all honesty I can say my on line friends, "my sisters" are as dear to me as my real life sisters.

Yes Farah, though i have never met any of you yet, i value all of you in my own way. Its like a family in here where people care about each other, so how could i not ?

I have great respect, affection, & trust for some of my friends here, & i would miss you ALL. So there is no difference.

A friend in any manifestation is a blessing as far it is said that a good book is also your best friend & we have got a rough estimation of other people talking on the chat.

Best Wishes for all

No. Simply because the manner in which you speak can have meanings. If you type, "I hate you." a simple phrase.. but the person that typed it could mean he/she really hates you or be just kidding, Sure they could type an explanation bringing it into context, but still you do not see the persons facial expressions or body language, which would tell you immediately what they meant. No explanation needed. There are other more complex communications that can easily be mistaken. Texting or communicating on line is a means of isolating yourself from real life. Many teens do this because they need the emotional isolation as a barrier. It is a way of protecting themselves from having a face to face contact.

they are different types of friends .

friends in real life share a lot of our joys and sorrows with us .

online friends meet us more often , but our sharing is limited to what could be seen in the internet .

we cant write everything in the internet .

here there is quantity , but in real life there is quality .