I have a confession. Like most millennials, I am ever so slightly addicted to the internet. I love to spend my limited free time scrolling through Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter and my various other social media platforms. While many may see this as a waste of valuable time, I do not. See, my love of the internet has given me something I am truly thankful for, Internet friends. Most of them I met on Tumblr or Twitter, and over time they have become some of the closest people in my life. Why are they so great? Well here are some simple reasons why internet friends are the best.

1. They are (usually) your type of nerd

I met most of my internet friends on Twitter and Tumblr because we shared one common love, U2. It is really fun to be able nerd out with other people and talk U2 to them. I remember spending nights with them listening to illegal streams of the last tour and skyping in excitement. Whatever type of nerd you are, I am sure you can find them somewhere online.

2. When they are not, you get to learn new nerdy things.

Of course, I have acquired some internet friends who are not necessarily U2 fans. In fact, we really don’t have that much in common but they have introduced me to some really cool stuff to be nerdy about. These guys have expanded my nerd culture and I am super thankful for then.

3. You also get to share your culture

I have a lot of friends who are not from the US, or are from other parts of the country that I have never been too. The result, a sharing of culture that is both super entertaining, yet sometimes frustrating. A joke on the internet is that you never understand the struggle of having international friends until you argue over what a biscuit is, and that is so true. Yet, I have a deep appreciation for so many cultures now and I feel like I am a better person because of it.

4. You get to learn new languages.

Along with culture, languages are shared between internet friends. Thanks to them, I know a tiny bit of Romanian, Dutch, German, and who knows what else thanks to them. Who said the internet couldn’t be educational?

5. You become a master of time zones

While I am on the topic of education, having friends all over the world also teaches out a lot about the magic of time zones. There are times where I am talking to a friend and realize it is three in the morning their time and they should really be heading to bed. This of course gets a little tricky at times when you are the only one in your time zone awake.

6. You can be social, without having to wear pants.

The magic of internet friends is that you don’t have to dress up to be with them. You can chat online in your own bed, without pants. Best feeling in the world.

7. If you ever go on vacation, you instantly have people you can stay with.

The cool part about having friends all over the place is if you ever travel to any of their home countries or states, you have someone to hang out with or a place to stay. I know my doors are always open to them and I am pretty sure theirs are open to me.

8. You can talk about people who you know in real life since they don’t know them.

Okay, there are days when you just need to rant about friends/family/coworkers but you really don’t feel like having it get back to them. Internet friends are great because they have no clue who these people are!

9. You can be a lazy friend without feeling (too) terrible.

All friendships take effort and are a give and take. Yet with internet friends, you don’t have to see them every day. You don’t feel the pressure to make constant contact with them and they respect if you need space. Of course, you do feel bad if you neglect any friends and that’s why balance is everything.

10. You have someone to always like your selfie/writing/artwork.

My internet friends are insanely supportive. They are always boosting me up and making me feel awesome about myself. Likewise, I love supporting my internet friends and celebrating their victories. Seeing their art makes me insanely happy, like a proud mom.

11. You always have someone to talk to.

With my internet friends, I rarely feel alone. There is always someone there to listen to me rant, good or bad. They have my back and I have theirs. They are truly some of my best friends ever and for that I am forever grateful.