Our generation has watched technology evolve in such a quick way that the experience has been almost indescribable. It's left us with this sense of overwhelming nostalgia in that we grew up with floppy disks, but by the time we were graduating high school, we all had iPhones in our hands. This wild journey means we've also been watching the transition between classic internet chatrooms to widely accessible social media platforms.
Growing up, that also meant we were all lectured about the ills of catfishing. It seemed to be made into this worldwide fear that people were lying about themselves online to kidnap you. And while I don't mean to invalidate that experience, because it certainly has happened, some of the sentiment associated with the sketchy chatrooms is still being applied to the concept of internet friends.
In the modern world, social media possess almost all of our personal information and there are very little ways to truly curtail this. Much of our lives are now spent on social media, for better or for worse, and it's just not going to change. That's why it's unsurprising that the platforms have garnered new friendships with people that we've never met in real life.
Years ago, the concept of internet friendships was met with vast scrutiny as many feared that the person behind your computer screen was a creepy 45-year-old man. Much of this fear was tired to just how sketchy some online chat rooms were, existing in odd and dark parts of the web. Since social media wasn't as widely used, talking to strangers online was rather taboo and being friends with them was seen as impossible. Back then, we misjudged the reality of human connection and still believed that you couldn't possibly bond over a computer screen.
Since all of our personal information is almost always just a few taps away due to our need to keep our profiles filled out completely, it seems less scary to disclose information about yourself to strangers online… especially since they can find it anyway if they try hard enough. As we began using platforms to communicate with our in real life friends every day, it became obvious that the internet was a sustainable form of human connection. In many ways, people began to look at Facebook as nothing different than keeping a penpal with an old friend.
However, the concept of internet friendships (ones that are formed and exist purely online) are still often scrutinized. We hold the same fears that we did about odd chatrooms to the people on our Twitter feeds. While our generation is slowly challenging this narrative, we are still showing some faults. Now, interacting with strangers is extremely common, but having actual friends from online is continually looked down upon. For some, there's a belief that internet friendships are lesser.
I don't know why it's such a crazy concept that out of the billions of people in this world, my best friend can't possibly be someone halfway across the world with a Twitter profile. It seems less likely that they'd be right next door.
And to meet your internet friend outside of the Twitter-world is often seen by many as something scary. People will beg you to heed warnings that who you are meeting may be some sort of catfish, even after you remind them that you've Facetimed your friend countless times.
"Stan accounts", which is to say the fans and fan pages, on social media tend to be the most forward and honest about having IBFs (internet best friends). It's also noted countless times that they'll prefer their IBFs over their IRLs (in real lifes).
As someone who has met up with her friends from the internet, I can't stress how rewarding of an experience this has been. In fact, one of my best friends from online has become one of my best friends in real life. We do almost everything together and have made some amazing memories of travel and concerts.
I've met people from such a vast array of backgrounds that it's taught me a lot about myself and the world around me. It's given me perspective on who I am and who I want to me. Not only have I met the best people, but I've also met some people who probably hate me; no different than if this were the real world we were speaking about.
So, to hear people discredit internet friendships always confuses me. The truth about IBFs is that you love them so much and support them so much that no amount of distance will stop you from calling them daily just to chat. There's nothing wrong about that. It doesn't mean anything is wrong with you either. We truly need to dispel the myth that being close with friends with the internet just makes you a lonely person when, in reality, it makes you a person with countless amazing friends and lifelong memories.
People with IBFs aren't some hermits who sit on their computer in a basement all day (even if we make jokes about this). They are every day human beings who are excited to meet as many people as possible and will pour their all into a friendship.
I can't thank my internet friends enough for getting me through so much. They know all my secrets, which may seem daunting, but I'd trust them with it over an IRL almost any day. Internet friendships are something to be embraced. As we continue to develop our technology, we'll also continue to redefine the human condition in the modern age.
(Note: Despite all of this, always fact check before meeting up with someone from the internet and be aware that catfishing can and does occur. If you are a minor, consult your parents before meeting people from the internet.)
