We were all taught the same thing as kids: don’t trust strangers on the internet. People may not be who they say they are and you can put yourself in serious danger if you trust the wrong person. And although this is true, the internet is a truly amazing thing, and you really can meet some great people online and form real friendships. The internet is a great way to meet people with the same interests as you, and it is very easy to bond with those that have the same interests as you.
I know that a lot of people believe that online friendships are not “real” like the ones we have in real life, but to me, they are just as real—sometimes even more so. I’ve made many friends on the internet, and many have come and gone, but there are still numerous people I talk to years and years later—which is more than I can say about some of the people I knew in high school. And although it’s true that not everyone on the internet is who they say they are, I’ve met several people that I trust whole-heartedly, and things like FaceTime are able to put my mind at ease.
I’ve even been lucky enough to meet some of the people I made friends with online in real life. Once, I met my friend almost completely by chance – I happened to be in her city while I was shopping with my family and we met briefly at the mall. Another time, we ended up going to the same concert and met up there before the show.
Now for the most amazing one—this past summer, a girl I met while playing the video game Overwatch flew all the way from England to come visit my friends and I for two weeks. My friends and I had known her for a year prior to her visit after meeting in the game, and talked almost every day. She is to this day one of my best friends in the world. It was a surreal experience, being able to see and hang out with her after only messaging and talking on mic for over a year—and although it was sad to see her go, she’ll hopefully be coming back to visit soon!
Although it’s still good to be cautious of who you can trust online, you can truly meet some amazing people on the internet and form long-lasting relationships. As the saying goes – don’t knock it till you try it!