Life and the Internet
We see it all the time. People who lack a solid social life find their way to the internet and become uber active on their website communities of choice. Then when these people suddenly find themselves with an active social life they either drastically reduce the amount of time they spend on their web communities or dump some/all of them entirely. This isn't a new phenomenon and it makes loads of sense why it happens. Some people simply lack the time to be online when they're kept so busy offline, and others really only used the internet as a replacement for 'real life friends' anyways. To them, online friends aren't real friends.
Then you have someone like me, someone who loves their internet communities and the internet as a whole regardless of their social situation. I first started using the internet when I was about 12/13 years old and by that point I already had several close friends, many good friends, and many acquaintances. As the years ticked by my social life became busier and busier but my internet usage never decline. If anything, the amount of time I spent online continued to increase because of web communities like EAGB, KWeb Haven, the Pokemon Tavern, Pokecharms, and Pokeschool. I also enjoyed gaming with friends online via Starcraft and later World of Warcraft.
Now I'm 27, I'm still part of Pokecharms, and I've joined another Pokemon web community called PalPad. I've seen people come and go online, some I considered close friends and others who I still cherish as my best friends, and for me it's disheartening. The internet was never a crutch for me; never really a replacement for human contact. I've always had my siblings to keep me company, and even when my social activities were at their lowest I had my handful of very dear friends. Loneliness isn't exactly foreign to me but at the same time the internet has never cured it either. If anything, the net often makes me feel more lonely because I long to hang out with certain people yet can't for obvious reasons.
What does the internet mean to me then? I guess it's just another extension of my life. I have best friends who I originally met offline and best friends who I originally met online. Out of the latter there's not a single one of them that I wouldn't want to meet face to face. Why would I consider them close friends otherwise? There are many things that you can only do with a person offline, but many other things can only be done via this virtual world. Both play a different role, but both are important.
Lately I'm finding that I do lack spare time for the internet - life happens, eh? - but it'll never be because I've found something "better". There is no better for me online verses offline. All that matters is how highly I value something.
Then you have someone like me, someone who loves their internet communities and the internet as a whole regardless of their social situation. I first started using the internet when I was about 12/13 years old and by that point I already had several close friends, many good friends, and many acquaintances. As the years ticked by my social life became busier and busier but my internet usage never decline. If anything, the amount of time I spent online continued to increase because of web communities like EAGB, KWeb Haven, the Pokemon Tavern, Pokecharms, and Pokeschool. I also enjoyed gaming with friends online via Starcraft and later World of Warcraft.
Now I'm 27, I'm still part of Pokecharms, and I've joined another Pokemon web community called PalPad. I've seen people come and go online, some I considered close friends and others who I still cherish as my best friends, and for me it's disheartening. The internet was never a crutch for me; never really a replacement for human contact. I've always had my siblings to keep me company, and even when my social activities were at their lowest I had my handful of very dear friends. Loneliness isn't exactly foreign to me but at the same time the internet has never cured it either. If anything, the net often makes me feel more lonely because I long to hang out with certain people yet can't for obvious reasons.
What does the internet mean to me then? I guess it's just another extension of my life. I have best friends who I originally met offline and best friends who I originally met online. Out of the latter there's not a single one of them that I wouldn't want to meet face to face. Why would I consider them close friends otherwise? There are many things that you can only do with a person offline, but many other things can only be done via this virtual world. Both play a different role, but both are important.
Lately I'm finding that I do lack spare time for the internet - life happens, eh? - but it'll never be because I've found something "better". There is no better for me online verses offline. All that matters is how highly I value something.