online friendships.

*speech for school*
The dictionary definition of friend ship is “The state of being a friend, a friendly relationship, or friendly feeling or disposition.” As you see no where is it stated where a friend can be found. No where is it stated that a friend has to be seen constantly to be a true friend. And no where is it stated that you can’t be a friend with someone who lives far away. In today’s society the internet and cell phones are a big part of our lives. Sometimes people text more then they actually communicate with one other. So why are people surprised when friends are made of over the internet. Is it weird to have friends online? Is it strange to have never seen these people? For me, no. There is many different ways to communicate these days. IM chats, email, phone, texting, pen-pals. And the list goes on. I have friends from England, Ireland, and in different states. And its completely natural for us to talk. As I go on, maybe you’ll start to see that too. When you see your friends everyday, how much do you actually talk? A real conversation with no distractions. And after can you honestly say you’ve learned something about that person? Calling someone your “best friend” these days I’ve noticed can be used very lightly. If you are in the lunch lines and someone comes up to you and asks “Can you please buy me some food, I’m like starving , I’ll be your best friend?” There something about this question that we can’t say no too. The thought of gaining a friend draws us in. We all know that after you have given this person your money that they skip off into the distance, and you are most likely never going to speak to them again. This is not to say that people trick you daily with the word “best friend” But that it is being used without real meaning. Just because you see someone all the time, doesn’t technically mean that you get to know them better. When going to the movies for example. You are sitting in a quiet theater for 2 hours, and for the most part not talking. Those 2 hours could of been made talking about a variety of things. Some of the things we do in society these days compared to a few decades back is completely different. People say that technology is to blame for this change. And in certain ways, it is. We are evolving at rapid pace. We now have touch screen cell-phones, and high speed internet. So the next time you use the phrase “best friend” think about it, do you really mean it? The website Youtube is know not just for its viral videos, but for the large community within it. There are your average VLoggers, musicians, gurus, and sketch makers. Every once in a while there are big youtubers such as Smosh or Fred. These names hold high power in the youtube society. Meaning you either love them or you hate them. There are cliches just like there are in real life and with them come rivals. Making videos on this site can sometimes not be a light thing. There will always be haters leaving nasty comments on your channel or video. For me, when I get comments like these, I don’t call up my friends on the phone, but instead go to my msn and see who’s online. And this is where online friendships comes in. The friends who you have not technically met but have seen their videos and them on webcams, maybe even talked to on your cell. These are the friendships that rely only on conversation. It’s not like you can go out and meet them whenever you want. It’s possible that they live thousands of miles away. Yet, is it possible to get to know these people just as much or maybe even more than your in real life friends? Yes, it is. When you talk, it’s usually about what we did today, what we’re doing later, what we like, what we don’t like. And so many other things. When I asked one of my online friends what friendship means to them and it was someone who you could trust with anything and who you could love. So, you could say, I have a really strong friendship with them.

When I tell someone that I have friends online, I usually get a reaction that goes along the lines of “Wow, that’s so weird. Do you have any really friends?” As you can see this statement is very disheartening and says something about people today. That we have not yet realized where a friend can come from. And where they can be found. Having these friendships means a lot too me. Sometimes I can go to these people with any problem that I might have gone to with my in real life friends. People don’t know how strong the friendships can be, most of the time we relate on almost every topic. And in 7 months I’ve been on youtube, I can’t imagine my life without the people I’ve met.

When life is going by as quick as a train, most of us take advantage of what we have. We over look our friends sadly. Our time together is a roller coaster in its slightest. I have a dream that people will notice that friendships can be made everywhere. Not just at your school or local club.
Personally I’ve learned about many different cultures and I know that it will help me in the long run. If you’re going to get anything out of this, just next time your with a friend: Ask them something about their lives. You may be surprised.