I don’t know about yours, but my parents, particularly my mom, is always going on about people on the Internet. I’m sure she doesn’t mean to be harsh, but according to her, you are all 50 year old perverted men, pleasuring yourselves to my cute little words and pictures.
What she doesn’t consider is, what if I am the pervert? What if I am the one out praying on twenty year old girls?
I’m NOT. Just to keep things clear.
I guess what my point is, is that so many people use the Internet, that it is downright impossible for all of them to be perverts or predators. In fact, chances are most of them are not! So, why is there such a stigma attached to having “Internet friends?”
Do any of you ever mention your “Internet friends,” to your other friends and family in real life? Or are they completely separate entities from your day-to-day goings on?
I just think it’s interesting, because I am quite open on the Internet. I am much quicker to spill information on myself, to share details that I haven’t shared with my friends, and all that. It’s not that I don’t trust my real life friends, but some things are just easier to share with strangers who are more likely to give impartial advice, and less likely to judge. And yet, I never mention any of these people to my real life friends. I’m sorry, really! But it’s just still a bit of an awkward topic to get into, especially when trying to prove that someone you’ve never spoken directly to isn’t an oddball.
I love my internet friends. And I’ve had to defend them and myself quite a bit. To be perfectly honest, I’m very anti-social, i dislike huge social events and I’m much better at the one on one aspect. I think that’s one of the things that appeals so much to me about the internet. It’s good one on one interaction, for the most part. And in my 10 years or so of active internet life, I’ve never really had a bad run in or met some creepy old men. People online are really accepting. Now.. taking that w/ a grain of salt of course, as there will always be those who love e-drama or crazy half illiterate web mistresses. But for the most part, those few people are easy to avoid. And when you do interact w/ groups.. like, forum communities, or a video game, or a club! (like the wonderful qbee), it’s just a good solid grp of people w/ open like minded thoughts and it’s easy to be yourself. So.. what does my long rant mean in the end? I like my interweb friends, they satisfy the need for friendship in me, and that’s all i really need.
I mentioned Rachael to my best friend a lot
Don’t worry, at the beginning my mom was the same, till she found out about a Canadian friend who switched major from comp sci to cooking. She was soo happy about me having such a friend. I’m now supposed to always pester him to teach me various recipes
Well, when you first “meet” us, there’s no way you can know what’s in our head. This is why it’s good not to reveal too many personal details about you. With time, you can generally tell if a person is a “pervert” (my mom prefers using the term axe murderer) or not.
I try not to reveal much about myself online; I guess it’s kind of a reflex from being told so often that “the Internet is a DANGEROUS place.” With that said, I guess I come across as kind of aloof online. I’m not that much different offline, actually. :P
I try not to mention online people to my friends, normally because I don’t feel like alienating them. Hardly any of my offline friends are in the blogosphere, so it feels a bit awkward to talk about it.
As for talking about personal stuff… I practically never do that, online or offline. I guess it’s easier online because sometimes it’s just a rant directed at no one in particular. But I tend to keep things to myself no matter where I am.
I have told people about my online friends, I don’t care what they think. I’m a grown girl and I can look after myself.
My Dad doesn’t think my “Internet friends” are “real friends”, even the ones I’ve called on the phone and met up and hung out with, like Lilil and Rob… That kind of saddens me a lot.
I don’t talk about my “Internet friends” that much IRL, but I’ve mentioned one or two of them a couple of times…
My boyfriend hears about my online friends so much that he knows them well even though they havent ever chatted. And viceversa, they know all about him. Otherwise, my family hears about them some but not often. My dad also thinks that they are all out to get me. From when I was 16 to 18 he put a block on my internet so that I couldnt get online between 9pm and 8am. Apparently the perverts only get online at night and they all live in my timezone.
I don’t mention it because my friends are 13 years old and think that everyone who they can’t touch (not in THAT way, you’re the pervert! :D) is a fifty-year-old perv.
You are all my “cousin’s friends”.
I’ve mentioned all of my Internet friends to my family and best friend, they’ve all told me to be careful. However I’m too much of an introvert to go out and meet with any of them…and the fact that they’re in a completely different country coincides with any chances. :P
I will mention internet friends to my parents, sister, and husband sometimes. It’s not as big of a deal in my fmaily anymore because…well… I met my husband on the internet. He visited me for the first time about a couple of months after “getting together.” How did my parents not know he was a pervert?? They let a complete stranger visit their daughter and stay at their home! I can’t believe it worked out the way it did.
I mention my online friends all the time with a stern look in my face that quite obviously screams “if you so much as BLINK in negativity I will smax joo”…I am quite the advocate of online friendship.
However, I’m also not stupid about it. Safe-ness is an important measure to take in this digital world easily accessed by BILLIONS of people.
BTW…”I am much quicker to spill information on myself”…you are right. YTYAN. WAKSSDI.