The Friend Behind the Screen

“There are friendships imprinted in our hearts that will never be diminished by time and distance.” — Dodinsky

A lot of people don’t understand online friendships. They can’t grasp the idea of online friendships.

Of being friends with people whom you “don’t know” and who may be far away.

But, the essence of online friendships is no different than other friendships, especially compared to long-distance ones–friends in the real world who may have had to move apart for whatever reasons.

There are a lot of dangers online, especially for kids, and more so for women, which is why it’s important to be aware of its dangers and how to protect yourself. You “never” give out your address or anything that may identify you.

I put double quotations around never because there are exceptions, cases where online friends meet, but to do that requires an immense amount of trust, time, and even then, you take measures to reduce any risks, like meeting in a public space.

To get back to the original topic, online friendships are the same as any other in essence.

Wherever you meet, whether through games or from a social platform, you connect with real people who have the same or similar passions to you. People with whom you get along.

Just like any other friendship, online friendships are built through time.

You talk. You share interests. You tell stories about your day. You celebrate achievements, complain about work or school, and support each other when things are difficult.

The only difference is the medium through which those interactions occur.

Many people imagine online friendships as shallow because they take place through screens. Yet some people speak to their online friends more frequently than they do to their neighbors. Distance does not prevent people from laughing together, creating memories together, or helping one another through difficult moments.

Some of my most meaningful conversations have happened online. Not because the internet is magical, but because there was another person on the other side of the screen willing to listen and share a part of their life.

I’ve met many people online whom I’ve known for years. People I’ve spoken to almost daily. We’ve watched each other grow older, celebrate accomplishments, struggle through difficult periods, and change as people. Through the years, we’ve created countless memories together and continue to make new ones.

In some ways, the internet makes it easier to find people who understand us. In everyday life, we are limited by geography. We meet the people who happen to live nearby, attend the same school, or work at the same job.

Online, those limitations disappear.

A person interested in a niche hobby, a specific game, worldbuilding, art, writing, or any other passion can find communities filled with people who share those same interests. Friendships often begin with a shared interest, but they grow into something much deeper.

Eventually, the conversation stops being about the game, the hobby, or the community that brought you together.

It becomes about life.

At that point, the friendship is no longer “an online friendship.”

It is simply a friendship.