Can Online Friendships Feel as Close as Real-Life Ones?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of friendships formed online within the Physics Forums community, exploring whether these relationships can feel as close as those developed in real life. Participants share personal experiences, anecdotes, and feelings about their connections with other members, highlighting both the emotional significance and the challenges of virtual friendships.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express that they have formed close friendships with other PF members, even without meeting in person.
  • One participant mentions having met several PF members in real life and describes those interactions as akin to meeting old friends.
  • Another participant shares a personal anecdote about receiving a keepsake from a PF member, indicating a meaningful connection.
  • Some express a desire for in-person gatherings, suggesting that virtual interactions may not fully replace the experience of meeting face-to-face.
  • There are mixed feelings about the significance of online friendships, with some stating that they feel close to members despite never having met, while others emphasize the importance of physical meetings.
  • Several participants mention specific individuals they consider friends, while others express feelings of exclusion when their names are not mentioned.
  • One participant humorously compares virtual friendships to having a "virtual girlfriend," suggesting limitations in the depth of online connections.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share positive sentiments about their online friendships, but there is no consensus on whether these relationships can truly match the depth of in-person connections. The discussion reflects a variety of perspectives on the value and limitations of online interactions.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the nature of their friendships, with varying degrees of attachment and personal experiences influencing their views. The discussion includes references to specific individuals and personal anecdotes that may not be universally relatable.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals exploring the dynamics of online friendships, particularly within niche communities, as well as those considering the emotional aspects of virtual versus real-life connections.

  • #61


Borek said:
How could it be? But I see Evo already did the honors :biggrin:

Keep us posted about how you feel after you get back from ER.

She did? Must have been a metaphysical whale shark:confused:
 
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  • #62


I've met ZZ, Astronuc, Greg, Gokul, Russ Watters, and SpaceTiger. Zz and I actually went to Disney together (what a surprise we'd pick that destination for meeting!) and have gotten together a few other times.

It turns out that one of Redbelly's contra dance friends is my former choir director, which was one of those surprising "It's a Small World" discoveries, but I haven't met up with him yet. Maybe if a visit to NJ coincides with a contra dance appropriate for beginners...
 
  • #63


Darn! I thought the Contras died off when Reagan's secret Iranian money dried up.
 
  • #64


Ahhh - I found it - metaphysical whale sharks take longer to reach one than physical whale sharks, I guess. ?
 
  • #65


George Jones said:
My wife makes baingan aloo.

what is baingan aloo? Is it similar to baingan bharta (YUMMM)??
 
  • #66


Moonbear said:
Maybe if a visit to NJ coincides with a contra dance appropriate for beginners...

This group meets in Princeton for contra dancing every Wednesday and on the 4th Saturday of each month. The dance starts at 8:00 pm, but there are beginner lessons at 7:30. Let me know if you ever get a chance to go and I'll try to meet you there. Here's their site with detailed information.

Princeton Country Dancers
 
  • #67


There are Contras hiding out in NJ? This immigration problem is getting serious!
 
  • #68


Actually, it's a variant of contra dancing called contravariant dancing, dual to covariant dancing. Apparently there was a primitive man taken from the jungle and shown just such a dance. When they asked him if he knew what the dancers were doing he said that he did, but he wondered why they were standing up.
 
  • #69


Jimmy Snyder said:
Actually, it's a variant of contra dancing called contravariant dancing, dual to covariant dancing. Apparently there was a primitive man taken from the jungle and shown just such a dance. When they asked him if he knew what the dancers were doing he said that he did, but he wondered why they were standing up.

Reading this makes me tensor.
 
  • #70


Jimmy Snyder said:
This group meets in Princeton for contra dancing every Wednesday and on the 4th Saturday of each month. The dance starts at 8:00 pm, but there are beginner lessons at 7:30. Let me know if you ever get a chance to go and I'll try to meet you there. Here's their site with detailed information.

Princeton Country Dancers

Do you do contra dancing too? I've only done it once, and it was fun, so I'd give it another try if the timing was right and there were other PFers interested in attending, but it's not a requirement for me to attend a contra dance to get together with PFers in NJ. I visit NYC several times a year (the boyfriend is still there and still a boyfriend) and south NJ about once or twice a year (the sister and nephew are still there...and I usually welcome excuses to spend a few hours away from the brother-in-law if he does something silly like have days off from work when I'm visiting, which was when/why I met up with Russ in Philly the first time).

My biggest problem is that I tend to pick random days of the week to head there, and on short notice, so most of my long-time friends are working when I visit. I just take whatever days I can get as I see a clearing in my schedule. I can certainly let you know whenever I'm headed that way if I will have some unscheduled time (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't). For example, I was in NYC last weekend, and had all day Friday free while my boyfriend was at work. I could have made a trip into NJ, or had someone from NJ meet me in NYC, but most normal people were working.
 
  • #71


Moonbear said:
Do you do contra dancing too?
No, but I would try it. I'm pro contra dancing.
 
  • #72


Jimmy Snyder said:
No, but I would try it. I'm pro contra dancing.

LOL! I'd be willing to try the English Country Dancing if it corresponded with a visit too. Maybe some other NJans will admit they're from NJ and join us too if we met up for that.
 
  • #73


I used to feel "closer" to some PF members a long time ago when I was on here everyday. I still care about them but since I have not been around much I can't honestly say I still feel as "close". Some of those people are unfortunately not around anymore. And some people *cough*Danger*cough* seem to have similar trouble finding time for PF.

There are a lot of great people here, I doubt I could list them all, and I have never had the privilege of meeting any of them unfortunately.
 

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