Online friendships are more common than ever before. But why is that the case? And what are people saying about it?

1. Social Media and
Online Relationships:
THE FUTURE OF FRIENDSHIP?

2. Questions to be addressed:
 How do online friendships form?
 How do they compare to “real” friendships?
 What are people saying on the topic?
 What does research show on the topic?
Byrne, Tony. "Friendship 2." Digital image. FreeImages. August 12, 2006. Accessed
October 18, 2016. http://www.freeimages.com/photo/friendship-2-1240066.

3. How do online friendships form?
Online gaming
Online fan communities on social media
Gross, Eric. "Girl with Smartphone." Digital image. FreeImages. July 13, 2014. Accessed
October 18, 2016. http://www.freeimages.com/photo/girl-with-smart-phone-1616794.

4. 76% of people playing online games report
having made good friends with the people
they play with1, and only 2.6% of these same
players think that online gaming has had a
negative effect on their relationships in real
life.2
Dick, Ian. "Games." Digital image. Flickr. August 3, 2005.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ian_d/30859899/.

5. Many members of fan communities develop
friendships with each other over a common
interest that may be hard to connect with
others over in real life
People who are interested in television shows, novel
series or other media may enjoy creating fan content
(fan art, fanfiction, fan videos, etc.) for other fans to
consume, therefore creating a collective discussion and
a fan community
Mirabela, Puiu Adriana. "Together." Digital image. FreeImages. Accessed October 18,
2016. http://www.freeimages.com/photo/together-1313492.

6. What are the criticisms for online
relationships?
Less legitimacy
Less social interaction
Long-distance aspect
Catfishing
Zacharzewski, Michal. "Video Games Fan." Digital image. FreeImages. November 25,
2006. Accessed October 18, 2016. http://www.freeimages.com/photo/video-games-fan-

7. Some research implies that online personas
make it harder to genuinely get to know
someone compared to real life4
Some criticisms are that some level of physical
contact is necessary in both platonic and romantic
relationships, which online relationships do not have3
Many people believe that online
friendships are less legitimate than
real-life ones
Sgarbe, Vinícius. "Finger Star." Digital image. FreeImages. Accessed October 18, 2016.
http://www.freeimages.com/photo/finger-star-1316833.

8. Some research suggests that people with social anxiety
may spend too much time alone playing online games,
which is a common criticism for people with many
online friends5
Social interaction can be just as valuable
online as it is offline
However, online friendships could prove to
be a positive in situations like these, to allow
for social interaction with decreased anxiety
levels
Pollard, Rebecca. "Tex Playing Video Games." Digital image. Flickr. November 1, 2005.
Accessed October 18, 2016. https://www.flickr.com/photos/34396501@N00/58694182/.

9. Another major downside of online
relationships is the long-distance
aspect.
Kristine, Pia. "Love." Digital image. Flickr. October 21, 2010. Accessed October 18, 2016.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/iloveakira/5105303264/.

10. With online romantic relationships in
particular, it can be hard to go for
extended periods of time without being
able to physically be with your partner.
Kristine, Pia. "Love." Digital image. Flickr. October 21, 2010. Accessed October 18, 2016.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/iloveakira/5105303876/.

11. Catfishing – someone pretending to be someone
they’re not – is a risk with online relationships, but
that it easy to remedy. If an online friend refuses
to video call with you, it is likely that they are not
the person in the pictures that they claim to be.
Conducting a reverse-image search with a
picture they claim to be theirs is another way to
verify that they are telling the truth.
Dani, Giuseppi. "Hand in Hand." Digital image. FreeImages. October 1, 2006. Accessed
October 18, 2016. http://www.freeimages.com/photo/hand-in-hand-1311634.

12. But other evidence suggests that online friendships are
able to form free of social obligation or proximity,
unlike real-life friendships, which makes them “ideal”
friendships which are founded more on trust and
mutual interest in one another.6
Howle, Jason. "Instagram and Other Social Media Apps." Digital image. Flickr.
September 1, 2012. Accessed October 18, 2016.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonahowie/7910370882/.

13. Reasons to support online
relationships
Possibility for travel
Expanded worldview
Accessibility
First-hand accounts
Włodi. "Video Games Players." Digital image. Flickr. November 24, 2007. Accessed
October 18, 2016. https://www.flickr.com/photos/wlodi/2254657082/.

14. 1/3 of teenage online friends meet up in
real life7, allowing the budding
relationships formed online to blossom
into deep, meaningful connections.
Meyer, Jyn. "Kids Shaking Hands." Digital image. FreeImages. April 20, 2005. Accessed
October 18, 2016. http://www.freeimages.com/photo/kids-shaking-hands-1532456.

15. Meeting online friends may seem dangerous,
but if you know your friend very well, plan to
meet in a public place, and have a backup plan
to get away in case something goes wrong, it
shouldn’t be too risky. Bringing a real-life friend
along with you can also help to ensure the
meetup goes safely.8
Fun, Vito. "Junk Science 10." Digital image. Flickr. June 23, 2007. Accessed October 18,
2016. https://www.flickr.com/photos/vitofun/640379683/.

16.  Meeting up in real life with online friends can allow
for travel to new areas of the world – for example,
two young adults from the United States and England
recently met for the first time after years of close
online friendship by going on a trip to Japan
together.9
 Online friendships expose people to differing
opinions and perspectives from around the world
which would not occur otherwise
Sarah. "Long Distance Is Tough." Digital image. Flickr. July 25, 2011. Accessed Octo
18, 2016. https://www.flickr.com/photos/cali4beach/5973493196/.

17. “Online friendships have unlocked my social side that I otherwise
would not have recognized. I was always a rather lonely person
due to a lack of like-minded people in my neighborhood. The
use of internet to network with others of similar interests makes
it far easier to find company. I've kept some relationships online
for almost ten years, and I have no regrets about chatting online
with other people.”10
- Nikki Valenzuela, supporter of Internet friendships
Ampongan, Rainier Martin. "Friendship." Digital image. Flickr. February 4, 2014.
Accessed October 18, 2016. https://www.flickr.com/photos/rmampongan/16253826328/.

18. For some people, physical and mental illnesses could prevent
them from getting out to find like-minded people with whom to
form meaningful connections; online friendships are more
accessible for people with disabilities.
Baroncini, Luca. "With You." Digital image. FreeImages. October 19, 2008. Accessed
October 18, 2016. http://www.freeimages.com/photo/with-you-1306601.

19. Despite the stigma surrounding online
friendships, they can be a very good
thing for all types of people.
Whether they are of minor importance compared to real-life
relationships or whether they are a replacement for real-life
friends, online friendships are beneficial to expand one’s
worldview and increase global awareness.
Chugh, Vivek. "Conference at the Summit." Digital image. FreeImages. January 1, 2006.
Accessed October 18, 2016. http://www.freeimages.com/photo/conference-at-the-
summit-1365830.

20. They are unlikely to replace real-life friendships
anytime soon, but with the increase in use of
technology, online friendships are sure to become
more and more common and accepted with each
generation.
Di Biase, David. "Surf In Style." Digital image. FreeImages. June 8, 2005. Accessed
October 18, 2016. http://www.freeimages.com/photo/surf-in-style-1544685.

21. Works Cited
 1. Cole, Helena, and Mark D. Griffiths. "Social Interactions in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing
Gamers." Cyberpsychology & Behavior 10, no. 4 (August 21, 2007): 575-83. Accessed October 18, 2016.
doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.9988.
 2. Ibid.
 3. Moore, Madison. "Online Friends Vs. Real Life Friends: A Comparison." Thought Catalog. December 18,
2012. Accessed October 18, 2016. http://thoughtcatalog.com/madison-moore/2012/12/online-friends-vs-
real-life-friends-a-comparison/.
 4. Hogan, Bernie. "The Presentation of Self in the Age of Social Media: Distinguishing Performances and
Exhibitions Online." Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society 30, no. 6 (November 1, 2010): 1-10.
doi:10.1177/0270467610385893.
 5. Lo, Shao-kang, Chih-chien Wang, and Wenchang Fang. "Physical Interpersonal Relationships and Social
Anxiety among Online Game Players." Cyberpsychology & Behavior 8, no. 1 (February 2005): 15-20.
doi:10.1089/cpb.2005.8.15.
 6. Henderson, Samantha, and Michael Gilden. "‘I’ve Never Clicked This Much with Anyone in My Life’: Trust
and Hyperpersonal Communication in Online Friendships." New Media & Society 6, no. 4 (August 2004): 487-
506. doi:10.1177/146144804044331.
 7. Kang, Cecilia. "Third of All Teens Who Meet Strangers Online Are Meeting Them in Person, Too."
Washington Post. August 6, 2015. Accessed October 18, 2016. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-
switch/wp/2015/08/06/why-kids-are-meeting-more-strangers-online-than-ever-before/.
 8. Ravenscraft, Eric. "How to Stay Safe When Meeting Someone From the Internet." Lifehacker. June 8, 2013.
Accessed October 20, 2016. http://lifehacker.com/how-to-stay-safe-when-meeting-someone-from-the-
internet-1040400781.
 9. Wong, Angela and Hayley Roberts. Web interview by author. October 16, 2016.
 10. Valenzuela, Michelle Nikki. Web interview by author. October 18, 2016.