Internet friendships have their place- a very small one in my life- but real friendships are the ones you call when you either need a ride to the emergency room or someone to call after you've already got there. A friend in need,....

I will never forget my stepdaughter (16 at the time) saying she had "hundreds of friends". I said, you DO know they are not actual friends, right? They're people on a contact list that FB markets to you as "friends". It's just another venue for social posturing. You have a half dozen REAL friends and they are the ones who would actually drop everything and come over to hug you if you were sad or upset.

She looked at me like I was crazy but in the ensuing decade I think she's managed to sort that out. Except that in my view she still puts way too much into online and casual friendships and too little into substantive relationships, even within the family. I think it's a way of avoiding intimacy. And I think sometimes this is what social media ends up being for many -- a shortcut to low-quality, low-commitment, high-convenience "relationships", and of quantity over quality.

By contrast her brother does not see the point of social media and the few relationships he has are deep and meaningful. I know which one I think is apt to be happier overall in life.

I met my husband online 10 years ago. He's English and I'm Canadian. We talked that entire 10 years pretty much. We went through relationships together, we were the best of friends. It just so happened that a few years ago we had both left relationships and things sort of fell together. I am a big believer in meeting people (friends or partners) online, but I always recommend some caution.

I have said [in real life] "I wanna put him/her/you in my pocket and take you home with me." ... I have not heard this regarding online [originated] relationships. I love the sentiment. Thanks for sharing.

Cyber aquaintences are easy to maintain too

Friendships maybe, but in a romance Department I have serious issues with that. If you don't meet face-to-face it's not a relationship at all.

Interesting post. I came across something a few years back. This guy was good internet friends with another older chap. They met on a cricket site but became good buddies. When the old guy died the young man want to his funeral. The debate was should he have? After all they had never met irl and him showing up could have at least perplexed the family. My view is yes he was right to go as all aspects of ones life should be celebrated at that time and his presence only added to the occasion.

I’m not saying it’s ideal. I’m saying it’s real. And when we lose those relationships, it hurts.

Well, not with a atraight face anys... considering the past slang meanings of "pocket friend".

Yes , some friends, we may never meet but are BFF and we share our intimate lives .

While I must agree they are real people and therefore friends the electronic connection still leaves me wanting presence. I need presence!

Well, there's a girl in Sri Lanka that we never met but, in a couple of occasions, we ended up being there for each other in a time of need. It's strange how things may work in certain circumstances.

My problem is a have slowly lost/got rid of any "real and local " friends. And have no clue on how to make new ones..