Do you think internet friends count as "real" friends?

[Pengie]

Just a question.

So once I heard "oh she's your real friend, you've never met her in real life" well forget I'm sorry I guess we're not allowed to be friends because I can't afford to go to Canada pfft.

I've also had people tell me it's pathetic that like half of my friends (good friends, talk to them everyday, play games with them, they help me with my homework sometimes, get in long philosophical debates, provide pep talk when someone's sad) are ones I've never met in real life.

I don't get the basis of either of these, so I want to hear what you guys think.

[Ad Bot]

[(Frankie)]

i guess :s

[Xolerate²]

Well, they are acquaintances. Or yeah, I count them as my "friends" though. They are who you want them to be.

[TheProdWad]

Yeah. There's no handicapped law that says you have to have met someone IRL for them to be your friend.

[¥ola]

I definitely think there is a connection made in having real, person to person interaction.  However, I don't think this connection is absolutely needed in a healthy friendship.

I think in order to be tight with someone you have to have that connection though, so I would consider most people I meet online either friends or acquaintances.

[Xolerate²]

Also, you can meet them via Skype w/ webcams.

[hodototman]

Hell, people have long distance relationships and meet later.

I definitely think there is a connection made in having real, person to person interaction.  However, I don't think this connection is absolutely needed in a healthy friendship.

I think it's be cool to meet a couple of people from the forum IRL y'know

[¥ola]

Also, you can meet them via Skype w/ webcams.

Not true.

A bond formed when chatting with someone in person is not the same as talking to them via the internet.

That would be the same as watching research while jacking off is equal to loving the girl in person.

[Camera]

Found this on my Tumblr:

http://jamietheignorantamerican.tumblr.com/post/39671216594/ill-always-be-there-for-you-because-thats-what

The current post relates to this.

[Xolerate²]

Not true.

A bond formed when chatting with someone in person is not the same as talking to them via the internet.

That would be the same as watching research while jacking off is equal to loving the girl in person.

can

[Crispy_]

well, a friend request you randomly accept does not make you real friends

if you have regular contact then they could be real friends

[Slugger]

My internet friends are friends, I may not be able to hang with them in real but we can still hang online like you can with anyone else.

[YourBuddyBill]

They're friends who you WOULD hang with if only you could teleport.

[Nonnel]

No, I do not.

[BubbaGum]

Sure