I think younger people who grew up with the Internet certainly have a different set of experiences than we have had. They may very well believe that there isn't much difference between friendships with people online or in person. I'd say that however they feel is fine. Maybe as they grow older they will learn differently? But then maybe we'll have real-time holographic image displays and they will be right!
I have certainly made several friends online including you and others here at TGG. But some other notables are:
* Dara Hoffman-Fox: although we've never met or spoken to each other we have helped each other. I consider her a friend because we know of some personal details of each other, I trust her, and I appreciate her as a person.
* Marlo Mack, producer/owner of "How to Be a Girl" podcast. She and I developed a friendship via emails last summer. I learned that she lives in Seattle and now we have met several times, I've helped her with her podcast a little, and she's introduced me to others here.
* Dr. H, the endocrinologist who has the blog "Hormones Demystified." I don't even know his name but he's been a huge help to me, and I have tried to help him too. I'd love to meet him someday.
So yes, my friendships with Dara and Dr. H are less than what I have with Marlo. I definitely consider Marlo a friend but she's also very busy in her own life and we see each other much less than I'd like.
For me the closeness of my friendships really depends on how comfortable we are with sharing ourselves with each other, being vulnerable, talking about what is going on for us. I guess that's a reason I feel so deeply for my therapists?
But sometimes even that isn't enough. Maybe we find that we don't have the "chemistry" to be close. Last weekend I went on a hike with a couple of lesbian women. We had a great time, we shared a lot, and enjoyed each other. But I doubt we will get together until we go on another hike. The weekend before we were on another hike with those same women and two others. One of the others and I were inseparable! We could not stop talking and really enjoyed each other. Last night she came over and we went out to dinner and had a wonderful time. For whatever reason we are just really clicking. I don't know why and she doesn't either but we both are grateful for our friendship.
Interesting?
Emma