If you chat with people for years online but have never met physically do you still consider them friends?

Question

Anyone who reads this, I'd be interested in hearing your opinions.  

As the world has become more networked the past several years, people have become more "connected" in different ways. 20 years ago, we were pretty limited to interacting only with people we actually had met in person at some point throughout our lives. In some instances, we may have known people strictly by phone (if working in a phone-intensive industry, or talking repeatedly to people in the same company, but in a different office--though, never having actually met in person), but for the most part, we did not have much "virtuality" in our everyday lives.  Things are much different now.

Do you have people in your friends/followers list who you have never met in person, with whom you may have interacted for a while?

And if you interact for a long time with people online (whom you have never met in person), do you consider them "friends" or in some "other" category, such as just online voices, or objects?

Do you find social rules/customs to be different with those you interact with online, but have never met in person?  For instance, would you just suddenly "end" an association with a virtual "friend" or "acquaintance" without actually telling them (such as unfriending, blocking, etc.), and would you treat people you know in person in the same way?

? · Accepted Answer

I consider them friends. There's only one person that I've actively talked to online for several years without ever meeting, and I'd consider her one of my closest friends, actually. We talk about everything and both trust each other and enjoy talking to each other, and I think it would be ridiculous for us to dismiss that just because we haven't met in person. She's definitely not a voice or an object - I know her better than anyone else, probably, and she's very much a person to me. In a way, talking to someone online is easier. It takes some of the pressure off and I find it easier to be open.

I don't think social rules are any different, in terms of how you treat a person. I think you should treat every friend with respect - I'd never randomly stop talking to one of my friends without giving a reason, and so it's the same for her. To me, she's a good friend, so I show the same respect and courtesy towards her as I show to any other friend. I don't think talking to someone online is an excuse for not treating them properly; in the end, they're people too, not virtual presences.

pisa · Answer

I fairly have many friendships with human beings I fairly have meet online. I traveled around Canada & united statesa. for 8months staying on & off with diverse human beings i had met and formed friendships with online. That takes diverse have self assurance on my section and theirs that the different isn't an awl murderer. yet i think of of as for pouring your heart out to a stranger online, its probably much less complicated reason there's a protection barrier there in that the possibilities of you assembly the different person is narrow till you the two placed an attempt in. you do now not might desire to be staring at this person mutually as asserting what your asserting so which you do now not understand what their reaction is outdoors of what they say to you via the internet - there's a procedures much less danger of direct rejection. If the different person lies of their character, which will come by utilising utilising in the previous later - they gained't be waiting to maintain the lie going long sufficient. And as quickly as you do detect out who they are extremely than its a decision you're making to proceed being buddies with them, or now not speaking to them anymore, in my opinion i might furnish up speaking to them reason i do in contrast to those who lie approximately themselves. i'm in basic terms ever common and the human beings who've meet me will say an same.

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If you chat with people for years online but have never met physically do you still consider them friends?

2 Answers