One of the biggest things our parents stressed to us as children were to never speak to strangers online. In an early-2000s era of predators lurking on MySpace and hiding in the depths of chatrooms, speaking to people you didn’t know online was often considered dangerous and taboo.

While it remains true today that you need to be careful about who you’re speaking to online, the concept of avoiding strangers entirely has transformed as people make friends and form relationships through social media platforms.

But can these “virtual relationships” be considered just as valid as the relationships you form with friends and partners in “real life”?

The simple answer is this: Of course they can! In fact, some research from 2015 suggests that over 50% of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 have made friends through the internet. Because we’re living in an era where cell phones and computers have become an essential piece of our daily lives, these statistics really shouldn’t be too surprising. Staying connected with friends and family through sites like Facebook and Twitter makes communicating easier than ever, so who is to say you can’t meet new people via these platforms as well?

Meeting new people online allows individuals to find others who share common interests or hobbies that may be considered rare otherwise. Connecting with these people lets us explore and expand on these interests that we might not get the chance to converse about outside of the web.

Sharing interests is a key component of friendships, so knowing that there’s someone else who may live halfway across the world that shares your obscure hobbies allows you to build bonds and feel less isolated! It feels great to get to talk about something with someone that you normally would not get the chance to!

Having friends online also gives people who normally might be shy or introverted the chance to interact with others in a space where they can feel comfortable. Knowing that you aren’t surrounded by the typical social pressure of being stuck in the middle of a crowd allows a fair amount of relief. Simply being able to type through a computer at your own pace, while knowing that your friend is patiently waiting on the other side for your response, is like a breath of fresh air from typical social situations. Taking your time to type out a response to someone makes people who are normally quiet and reserved feel as if they can truly connect with people in a way that makes them most at ease.

Making friends online also allows you to experience learning opportunities that you simply can’t grasp from only making friends within your own community.

For example, let’s say you’re able to meet someone online who lives in South America. Getting to know this person allows you to learn more about their country, culture, and maybe even a bit of their language! The internet opens a world of possibilities and opportunities to learn about others in a way you may have never been able to otherwise!

However, despite sharing interests and being someone to talk to, a friend is ultimately someone who can offer emotional support even through the toughest of times. Knowing that you have a friend who is just a click away, even in the middle of the night, serves as being a great comfort for someone who may be going through a rough time emotionally. Having someone who is always there to listen to you and offer you advice, even if they’re thousands of miles away, is more than anyone could ask for in a great friend.

Getting through the hard times together is what forming a deep and meaningful friendship is all about, isn’t it?

Simply because you are typing to someone through a phone or a computer screen doesn’t make your relationship with them any less valid than friends you’ve made in “real life.” After all, at the other end of that screen is another living, breathing person who is just as real as anyone else you might know.

The internet is a tool of the modern era being used to bring people together that may have never gotten the chance to interact without it. Because of that, life-long friendships are being formed all across the world at every second of the day.