There already is an international Friendship day and it’s one of my favorite days. Because friends really are the family one chooses. And now, the Internet is banding together to make “Internet Friend Day” happen and, apparently, it’s catching on.
Since forever, one could make friends anywhere. At school, at work, in the neighborhood, in a coffee shop, on a trip, through mutual acquaintances, and so forth. But, nowadays, there’s another way. Online. Back in the beginning, people were afraid of interacting with other peeps online, cuz you didn’t know who was talking to you on the other said. But, today, it is fairly common to establish relationships online.
There are a lot of ways to connect with people online and strike a friendship: a simple Twitter conversation can turn you into fast friends, an online gaming sites, a forum, a chat room. One of the best ways, and the one that has worked for me, is sharing a common interest. I’ve become friends with people from the same fandoms or fan groups. Truth be told, some of the best friends I have today, I met almost 10 years ago on a fan Forum.
And you don’t even have to meet in person like… ever. 10 years ago I started chatting online with a group of gals. Some I’ve met because they live close to where I live. Some others I’ve met because they or I traveled. And some I might never met. But that doesn’t make them less of a friend. I mean… if a friend you know from school, whom you grew up with, goes to live abroad and you never see her again in the flesh, but you continue your relationship through the phone, Skype, texts, emails, Facebook and any other means of communication available to the techno-savvy, she is still your friend, right? So why not the other way?
Internet friends are the best. You carry them with you all day long through your smartphone. You are never alone. A simple Tweet can brighten your day. A funny text or a new photo of your current celebrity attached in an email can brighten your day. And it truly broadens your horizons. I have Internet friends from the USA, Canada, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Argentina, Thailand, Germany, Scotland and many other countries (I should start mapping them).
So, to celebrate the friends that do not always get the recognition that they might deserve, the Social Media has taken upon itself the task of making #InternetFriendDay happen. Apparently, it was decided that it would be September 2nd, but the trend is catching on today. So, my Internet peeps, I send you lots of hugs and love and virtual high fives. You rock!
