So maybe I am lazy, but I define all my online friends as friends. Especially on Clubhouse, I went deep in and have now met many people IRL, including in London. And that's during Covid. Imagine if I could go freely to NYC like I used to. Or take people up on their invitations to visit them in Nigeria. I use voice as a good indicator. So far the people I've met are who they sounded as if they were. And think of the G3 women. Have we met IRL, sure, but most of our exchanges are online. But because social media is so old, most of my online friends are fifteen years in duration or longer. I do think people need social cues, but other people ignore them. Bad Art Friend is a singular occurrence. Also, how have you been?
Oh, I have many many 99%-online friends who I consider real friends. but I'm not sure everyone is like that. I also have many online "friends" where we kind of drifted apart, just like in real life, only we have this thread of, for example, FB birthdays connecting us. I confess here and now that I'm one of those people who, on the rare occasion I might unfriend someone, is most likely to do it on their birthday! Because I get the notice, I go look at the "See Friendship" link and notice that we literally never interact; they never wish *me* a happy birthday, and I can't remember how I know them or if I ever met them.
So maybe I am lazy, but I define all my online friends as friends. Especially on Clubhouse, I went deep in and have now met many people IRL, including in London. And that's during Covid. Imagine if I could go freely to NYC like I used to. Or take people up on their invitations to visit them in Nigeria. I use voice as a good indicator. So far the people I've met are who they sounded as if they were. And think of the G3 women. Have we met IRL, sure, but most of our exchanges are online. But because social media is so old, most of my online friends are fifteen years in duration or longer. I do think people need social cues, but other people ignore them. Bad Art Friend is a singular occurrence. Also, how have you been?
Oh, I have many many 99%-online friends who I consider real friends. but I'm not sure everyone is like that. I also have many online "friends" where we kind of drifted apart, just like in real life, only we have this thread of, for example, FB birthdays connecting us. I confess here and now that I'm one of those people who, on the rare occasion I might unfriend someone, is most likely to do it on their birthday! Because I get the notice, I go look at the "See Friendship" link and notice that we literally never interact; they never wish *me* a happy birthday, and I can't remember how I know them or if I ever met them.
It seems heartless, but there you have it.