Internet friendship
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Internet friendships are friendships between people who have met online, and in some cases know each other only via the Internet. Online friendships are similar in many ways to penpal relationships, and like Internet romance, they have been widely debated and often criticised.
It is arguably very difficult for people to establish meaningful relationships with those they can't see or interact with. Without the verbal and physical cues that assist in gauging a person's emotions and feelings, there is a high possibility of deception. However, many who maintain online relationships contest that not seeing the other person actually helps relationships develop, and that they have fewer social inhibitions without the expectations that ordinary face-to-face contact engenders. Others acknowledge that the lack of face-to-face contact can cheapen internet friendships, and that it could be considered shallow of them to want to see who they are talking to, thus implying that their friends' appearances could change how they think of them.
Since the development of high-speed, broadband internet, the face of internet friendships has changed significantly. It is possible to hold real-time audio and video conversations over the internet, providing additional levels of interactivity beyond plain text.
Still, use of these technologies is not always feasible or convenient, and some people may prefer not to use them.
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