The Truth About Internet Best Friends
When people, specifically parents, hear the term “internet best friends,” most imagine someone who pretends to be younger, a different gender, or someone who’s just untrustworthy in general. However, that’s not always the case with people online. Whether you play video games or use social media, there’s always an aspect of meeting new people and conversing with them. You can never avoid it. The fun you have while on your computer or phone greatly relies on who those people are, though. There will constantly be people online who don’t have the same morals or ideals as you, but that’s where internet best friends come into play.
When you meet the right person online, it takes a while to know that they are an actual, legit person. Over that span of time, it’s very easy to talk to them, though. You can skip the awkward stages of getting to know one another because you already have something in common. If you met them while playing a video game, you already have a similar hobby to talk about. If you met them on a website, it may be because you both have the same interests. Most of the time there’s always something you have in common with the person.
Internet best friends not only have at least one similar interest as you, they can also provide a way to get support at any time of day. This is because of one reason: they’re just one click away. Having a friend that’s always with you in your pocket can be very helpful. If you’re having trouble with a person in your school, it’s easy to talk about it because they can’t tell anyone what you said, unless they know the person, but that’s very unlikely. They’re practically forced to be trustworthy and to keep secrets which is something many people have trouble with in real life relationships.
The thing that makes parents the most uneasy, though, is when you talk about meeting your internet best friend in real life. However, if you’ve known them for a few years, you have proof they won’t try to kidnap you and if you do end up meeting them, you get to experience new places and activities. You can see another state or even a country you’ve never been to. Meeting an internet best friend in real life is a great reason to travel and see places outside of the main tourist attractions. Also, it’s more special to see them in person since it’s more unique and memorable than just meeting a friend from school.
With summer just around the corner, many of you might resort to spending most of your time online. You are able to connect with so many people through the Internet and make very close bonds with them. Hopefully these people make your experience a little bit better and that you have a wonderful summer!
I would also like to wish a very happy birthday to my own internet best friend, Jenny!