notlife.net

Some of the things people say online can be hurtful to others they talk to online like for instance making the distinct differentiation between online friends and real friends. I personally don’t see what the difference between the two is. I mean its not to say that every person I come in contact with on the Internet or in person is an actual friend because they are not. In the same way that someone I might see from time to time in person might just be a causal acquaintance. In the world we live in now where the Internet has become such a major part of our lives we need to fill in the gap. Maybe instead of calling someone an online friend as apposed to a real friend we could refer to them a an acquaintance as we would someone we just casually know face to face.

I have been on the Internets since before people used words like the Internets (not to say that that’s an acceptable term now) Sometimes the very best friends I have made in life have come from the internet and some I have never even met. This might sound weird to some but not to me. Some of the people I call friends and have never met in person are no less of a friend or less of a real person than the friend I get to see in person on a regular basis. My point is that people are people no matter where they may exist. They are people I depend on when i have a problem and call when have good news. We share the same ideas and emotions that I share with my tangible friends the only difference is I cant touch them.

I was just reading someones blog post and they clearly made it a point to set a divide between their online friends and their real life friends. The way I look at it its kind of sad that people have divide their life up in such a manner. Would it not be more enjoyable and alot less trouble to live your life in a whole where everyone you come in contact with gets to sit on the same playing field no matter what medium you interact with them.  Look at kids now this is something they are starting to accomplish and its totally organic to them. They talk to everyone they interact with in the same way with their text messages, their AIM and Facebook. Here I am talking about this stuff like my great grandmother might have talked about my mother or father and their crazy rock n roll records. I guess I’m just getting old but when it comes to communicating with the ones I care about I’m still young at heart.