When I was little my parents always said, “Don’t talk to strangers.” I heeded that warning perfectly when playing outside, but when it came to the computer, not so much. Starting at 10 years old, I was in chatrooms playing games with people I did not know. It was fun, although there were some extremely sketchy people that I was smart enough to block. I was a smart kid with the strangers I talked to.
At thirteen, I was completely in love with the show Icarly. I wanted to do a show just like they did. I searched the internet and found a site called “Blogtv Jr." It was the best choice of my life signing up for that website. I broadcasted myself, and quickly found strangers that I could call my friends. I even got a skype and began talking to them even when I was not broadcasting online.
I quickly fell in love with the strangers. Everyone was introduced to one another, and we became what we call “The Skype Crew." We made youtube videos together, we talked about our problems, we argued, we cried, and most of all we were there for each other even when we all were going through our own problems.
These strangers became my best friends even though there was a large distance between us. It has now been seven years, and I have watched all of us grew up. Mitch’s maturity went from the maturity of an 11-year-old little boy, to now a smart teen who is about to go off to University. Beckie’s ambitious grew and grew, and now she is working on becoming a music journalist. Joey grew from a shy boy to an adult who is ready to conquer the world with every step. Shaun still has the same strong personality that he had at 12 years old, but now he knows when to hold his tongue and not start a full blown argument. Cat gained confidence in herself and became an amazing person who knows how to speak her mind.
These friends are my best friends. They started out as strangers on the internet, and now they will live in my heart and mind everywhere I go. I know they are always as message away or a call away on skype.
Thank you guys for being my friends. My advice to people out there: Talk to strangers on the internet, but be smart about it. Get on webcam, tell them to do something that couldn’t be done on a pre-recording. Be smart, but let your guard down when you find out you're talking to real people. They may become your best friends.
