Online Friendships: Do They Last?

Learn the value of online friendships and how you can create meaningful connections online that will last.

Friendships naturally ebb and flow as we move through different chapters of our lives. Some are made to last forever, while others are there to offer mutual love and support through shared experiences. 

In reality, some in-person friendships may eventually fade in a certain situation as the dynamic that fuelled and facilitated the bond shifts. For example, imagine you change jobs or move to a new city where you can no longer connect with your best bud as often as before. 

This is where online friendships hold a trump card: They can persevere through life changes that location- or situation-based friendships grapple with. These alliances open opportunities to transcend geographical boundaries and sustain healthy friendships that may have otherwise fizzled out. Let's explore the fundamentals of online friendships and how to make them last. 

What Are Online Friendships?

The concept of making friends at a distance has been around for a long time. The difference is that now, technology allows us to forge deeper and more meaningful relationships with our various connections around the globe. 

You remember pen pals, right? Back in the day, everybody had one — someone from a foreign country to send handwritten letters and analogue photographs back and forth with. Then, in the 2000s, online messaging and emails hit the scene, which made our communications with distant comrades much faster and easier. This was the dawning of the “internet friend” — though let's not forget it took about two days to upload a photo back then.

Now, high-speed internet, widespread Wi-Fi access and one-to-one video chat platforms like Azar help us easily form new digital connections with virtually anybody, anywhere almost instantly. These platforms foster the essence of online friendships since they encourage real-time conversation rather than occasional or irregular social media commentaries. 

Benefits of Online Friendships

Like anything in this dynamic world, making a new friend online can entail ups and downs. The key is in the balance. Maintaining a regular schedule for in-person social interaction is not getting knocked from its perch — your real-life friend circle remains as important as it ever was. 

However, with emerging ways to build meaningful friendships when and where it suits you (yes, even from the comfort of your couch), you can now diversify and expand your social network to cater for the fast-paced, tech-based nuances of modern life. And the best part is you don't have to compromise on the qualities of a real friend. Below are some advantages of building your online community: 

Expand Your Pool of Potential Friends

No longer are the people you're likely to be friends with limited to the workplace, your educational faculty or whoever crosses your path during Friday night shenanigans. Video chat platforms open the gates to an entire world of potential. Jump online and start vibing with like-minded people in different countries instantly. 

Share Culture and Lifestyle

They say a lasting friendship is built on shared interest, but how many friends in your life have a different educational background, fashion sense or special talent? The majority of our offline friends most likely diverge in their own unique ways, which is why we love them so much!

One-to-one video chat platforms can help you meet those who share similarities, like demographics, professions or interests, but may have completely different cultural backgrounds or lifestyles. That way, you can both blow each other's minds as you learn about life and experiences in the faraway corners of the world. 

Mental Well-being

Those who have close friends and confidantes are more satisfied with their lives and less likely to suffer from depression. But, the benefits of social interaction aren't limited to an offline friendship. Positive online relationships based on mutual trust, respect and reciprocity also help us reduce stress and feel more confident. 

Through the highs and lows, a simple conversation about weekly challenges and wins can boost your mood and enhance overall well-being, regardless of whether you both share the same physical space.

Leverage Time Spent Online

Everybody's online these days. In fact, one study found that Gen Z spends almost three hours on social media platforms daily. For many of us, the time we spend online involves scrolling through social feeds or following up on random factoids from related posts a friend sent. 

One-to-one video chat platforms present the opportunity to transform time spent passively scrolling into actively engaging with real people. It's not about using the internet less; it's about making more effective use of our time surfing the web. 

Create New Opportunities

Ever found yourself unexpectedly poring over a new obsession one of your pals introduced you to? How about finally sewing that dress, creating new content or building your digital art portfolio because a friend offered to help? 

Online friendships expose you to a wealth of opportunities that can enrich your life, bringing you closer to your goals — whether that's travel, jobs or creative projects. Whatever you're into, somebody is out there ready to support and collaborate. 

Challenges of Making Online Friends

Forging a lasting friendship on the interwebs is as fun as it is fulfilling. But, it can sometimes carry inherent limitations that a local friendship doesn't. Here are some of the challenges of making friends online and how to manage them. 

Time Zone Considerations

Imagine you live in San Francisco and have just made the coolest friend via video chat. The only catch is they live in London — that's an eight-hour difference between the two of you. Yikes! 

While we can't change time zones, we can work with them. Check which times suit your friend to call and let them know when works for you. If you're bonding across complicated time variances, speaking on weekends or days when you have more flexibility can be a workaround. It's all about finding a schedule that works for you both. 

Wi-Fi Access

If you live in a well-connected area, finding a decent Wi-Fi connection shouldn't be too much of an issue. On the other hand, if you or your digital buddy like to head outdoors or travel to remote places, Wi-Fi access can become a temporary hurdle to socializing. 

If you're heading off the grid, it's common courtesy to let your online friend know you won't be available for a while. Likewise, if your friend is out of the game for a period, remember that it could be anything from a spell of bad weather to the phantom Wi-Fi ghost who visits us from time to time. 

Digital Limitations

Of course, due to the nature of digital connections, an online friendship inherently means it's harder to build real-world experiences together, like hiking or attending events. Often for in-person friendships, those daily life interactions form a majority of our talking points. 

This simply means we need to get creative. For instance, entering the conversation with a few interesting topics to talk about or planning a fun game builds up memorable experiences and curates more meaningful friendships.

Tips for Maintaining Friendships Online

Meeting someone for a good yap is one thing. Fostering a deeper internet friendship is another. The secret to making the connection grow and last over time is to tailor your approach so it works with the digital nature of your interactions. 

Here are some tips to get you started: 

1. Focus on the foundations: All friendships rely on a baseline of trust, happiness and reciprocity to survive and thrive. Start by building these early to encourage ongoing success. 
2. Create a structure (and stick to it): It's easy to forget to respond or leave messages on read. Remember the basics of conversation ethics and try to create a regular schedule for checking in to show you care.
3. Communicate with transparency and authenticity: Sometimes in video chats and instant messaging, our (or a friend’s) feelings and intentions may get lost in translation. Stay true to yourself, communicating authentically and respectfully.
4. Ask lots of questions: In real-life friendships, we can learn new things about our pals by seeing their surroundings or meeting their friends. This is limited for online friendships, so asking plenty of questions is a surefire way to keep the conversation flowing. 
5. Take space when you need it: There is such a thing as too much screen time. Take care to listen to your body and mind. It's OK to tap out when you need to. 

Are Online Friendships Better Than In-Person Friendships?

Building a solid squad of digital and offline relationships is important. Online communication exposes you to new cultures, ideas and experiences that often location-based buddies cannot provide. Plus, they generally allow for greater flexibility since you can have a full-blown social exchange without leaving home. 

Real-life friends are also healthy to nurture. They expose you to local opportunities and encourage you to engage in a more active and dynamic lifestyle, which is important for overall well-being, too. 

This means that online friends shouldn't entirely replace relationships with those in your physical environment — they simply offer myriad benefits that in-person friendships may not be able to. The key is to maintain balance across all of your friendships. 

Start Building Your Digital Social Circle

Making friends online provides a phenomenal opportunity to connect and enrich our lives with inspiring conversations, learning and meaningful relationships. By forging a deeper connection with like-minded people worldwide, we become exposed to new countries and cultures, which can open the gates to new possibilities. 

With the right time and attention, online friendships will give you back as much as you put in. While they shouldn't replace in-person interactions entirely, they're a fun, engaging and easy way to unwind and socialize. 

Azar is a platform where you can participate in fascinating conversations and build your digital social circle in a relaxed, lighthearted space. Join the platform and see where your virtual friendships take you!

Start Chatting now!