The difference between online and offline friends are a lot. But it varies person to person. For an example a high school girl finds it easier to talk to people. On the other hand she can be very quiet. She may always know what to say when meeting someone for the time. Sometimes she can just sit there. Listens while everyone else talks. But online things feel different.
She would remember becoming close to someone. Online friendship started because both haf same likings. At first online friendship conversations would be about stuff like school and movies. After some time they will start to share personal problems. That girl could tell online friends things which she was too shy to say to people around her.
That is one of the things about online friendship. She could find people who understand girls like her even if they live far away. Okay so, she may never meet them in life but online friends can still make her feel less alone. When she had a troubled day she could feels nice to open phone and see a message from online friend asking how she is doing. That could make her smile and make her day.
Online friends can also help people like her. But online friends can take time before replying. Online friends do not have to worry about eye contact or awkward silence. Sometimes introvert people feels like that girl and can be more honest online than she was. But the problem arrives when you can't find your online friends in offline.
So I will share some negative facts as well. The biggest problem is that online friends never really know who is behind a screen. Someone can say anything about themselves and high we may believe it. Someone could lie about age or identity. Trusting the person can become dangerous.
Another problem is becoming too dependent on friends. Like if one day I start to spend all time talking to people online then it may slowly stop myself from talking to people around me. Real life relationships still matter. But a friend who can sit beside me when I am crying is different from a friend who can only send messages.
There is also the fear of losing friends. Online friends can suddenly disappear. Online friends can delete account. Stop replying. Even though I have never met them in real life it can still hurt.
So yeah online friendships are not bad. Online friendships can be beautiful and meaningful. But we all need balance in every matter. We can enjoy talking to friends while still making space for real life. In the run I do not want to live only behind a screen. I would like both kinds of friendship, in life. That could be online or offline. I only care about genuine connections. If the vibe goes right I will be there for them but I will try not to get hard feelings because in the end no one stays with you, everyone always leaves and it's their personal choice. You can't even complain when someone leaves so think of it as a chapter of your life.
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