Addendum to Social Group Mediums

I mirror this blog on my MySpace, LiveJournal, and FaceBook accounts. I received feedback on LJ and I wanted to post it here to share.

"I suppose that it depends on also knowing which people you meet in the digital world can become real life friends. If the knee jerk reaction is "none of them" then I don't see the point of going for a digital fix since you'll know you'll never meet this person in real life and form a non-digital friendship.

I've made many friends online that I have become real life friends with, I moved to a different state and have a new and more rewarding life because of bridging the gap. I've been to the UK and have had people from there and from Spain and Canada and across the US come visit me and I feel very lucky because of it.

Besides, there have been real life friends that can let you down just as easily as a digital one - if you let them."



My response was:


You know, when I hit send, I cringed. I knew I was leaving something out..

My best friend lives 3,000 some miles away from me. We met online, role playing channel. She's come here with her daughter, and I went down there to her home.

I consider her my best friend, someone I can call to cry on her shoulder and she knows she can do the same with me. I was there when she had a life problem, she's been there when I needed someone to tell me I can do it, or smacked me upside the head to straighten me out. I love her dearly.

So, it's not that I'm saying you can't trust people online or you can't make friends...it's more along the lines of just because they list you as a "friend" you shouldn't expect that you're now a girlfriend, and if they have a gathering of friends and you never received the golden ticket to the event, you shouldn't feel as though they betrayed you, or that you're worthless.

It's harder for people with depression and social anxiety, ESPECIALLY the social anxiety aspect because we're already tiptoeing that fine line of being uneasy with meeting people, having friends. The whole lack of self esteem and self confidence blows chunks, because we already thing we're less than dirt. Having it "shoved in our faces" is gut wrenching.

Again, I'm not blaming anyone. Really, the post originally was to share my recent experiences with a few of the social mediums I belonged to.