I have heard the discussion many times regarding the authenticity of ‘Internet friends’ and relations you have with people over the internet, when compared to real life and a face to face relationship. It does seem difficult to label each type without criticising the other indirectly.

Perhaps at a cursory glance, Internet friends and Facebook friends seem to be less authentic. It seems it is more difficult to know someone properly and to be fully involved in their life. There is time more time to calculate responses and manage a reply. Due to the use of text and the simplicity of it in casual form, there is seemingly less emotion involved and potentially less meaning.

It is, however, much easier to engage with someone – especially someone who is far away or difficult to contact – and to quickly form a bond or relationship with them. Indeed, it is very easy to contact people from different social circles and communities. Not to mention, you can do this from the confounds of your home and your room, wearing as much or as little as you want.

The beauty, I find, of the Internet is that anyone can be included and involved in communities. It is infinitely more efficient to create communities, especially for niche interests, over the digital medium than in real life. You have access to a significantly larger group of people, especially compared to regional and rural environments in the real world.

Every evening I find myself typing away on my computer or phone, talking to people I know in real life and people who I don’t. I feel that I am just as involved with people who I only know on-line to those who I know in both or just in real life. This is especially important to me, as I met my now girlfriend on-line. Who is to claim we have a less authentic relationship because we initially met in this fashion.

 

With the realities of globalisation, even people who meet in real life will spend a considerable amount of time talking through the internet. Does this diminish what their relationship is to previous generations who did not have this ability?