Length of Friendships with Online Friends

[Adam007]

I was talking with a friend on msn, and was explaining that eventually all your msn friends and people you met over the internet, you'll inevitably lose contact with 90% of them over the years. He disagreed with me on that. My friend seemed to think that the good friends you've made now will still be friends with you, and you'll still talk with even when you're 40 years old.

 

 

 

That idea seemed unfathomable to me. I picture my parents, who barely ever touch computers. I'm sure this generation will be using computers when they get old more, but I doubt as we get older we're going to spend anywhere as much time as we do now playing games and things like that. You have a family, lots of responsibilities, etc which will stop you from spending time playing games, chatting, and using forums.

 

 

 

Still, my friend believes that if you share a common interest of what you first met from still, like enjoying puzzle or rpg type games, you'll continue to be good friends. I always assumed that when I got older (as in 30 years from now) everyone I became friends with would only be faint memories. Never the thought that I'd be still sitting on my computer, playing games with them would pop into my mind. We don't know yet. This is a new generation of video gaming and computer using people. Sure, there are exceptions. Kids who grew up with atari, some of them still like video games. However, the majority just grew out of them. Will this generation grow out of chatting online like we do so much of now? And back to my main thought. Will we still have the good friends we met 30 years from now? Personally, my answer is no. Maybe I'm viewing the whole generation thing wrong, as I know there are plenty fairly older people who use this forum, and talk on msn and chat online a lot. But that's a very small percentage of that age group. Anyways, I'm feeling like I'm rambling and losing focus on the main point. I'll ask the question again, and try to leave your opinions. Do you think that in, say, 30 years from now, you'll still sign on msn/aim regularly and chat with the same friends you made off of tip it and runescape and other games that you do now? Or do you think that by then, they'll all slowly just disappear.

[jackalope14]

umm, my friendships online last hardly long at all, most of my friends on my runescape friends list are never spoken to. I wonder why they dont last long... :?

[Adam007]

I'm talking about good lasting friendships you have right now, and the potential of how they'll last. Not like polling you on if you keep your current friends or anything. I'm not sure you really read into what I was saying.

[Dark_Tigra]

Everyone I've cared anything about on this game I'm talked to for 3+ years.

[____]

I don't know about 30 years, but I can easily say that I'll be friends with at least 10 people I met online in 10 years time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I already have one online friendship which has lasted over 10 years.

 

 

 

And 3 more are approaching the 5 year mark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fairly good odds I'd say ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edit: And I'll add that I am currently engaged someone I met online.

 

 

 

But I haven't counted that as being 'online' for many years :P

 

 

 

But for the record, we've known each other for 7 years now I think.

[mad4u689]

I first started making friends in Runescape in the early summer of... 2001? Well, the year it came out. I'm still friends with most of these people, and keep in regular contact with them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heck... one of them (dusqi) who I've known for... three and a half years? Is my boyfriend currently, and I don't just consider him an "online" boyfriend. He'll be staying with me this summer for three weeks =o) I don't see this relationship ending anytime soon!

[Greatsilverwyrm]

There are a lot of 30+ year-old adults that spend all kinds of time on the computer..

[Adam007]

There are a lot of 30+ year-old adults that spend all kinds of time on the computer..

 

 

 

I was basically aiming this toward the type of person who is 13-20 years old really. About what you said though, I did mention that. But I said most don't, however, I know a ton of people do, but that wasn't the aim of what I wanted to talk about.

 

 

 

And I'm not talking about people who are still friends after 4 years of runescape. I'm talking about a LONG TIME. I'm sure that over a 4-6 year time span, most people who are good friends will stay that way. I'm just wondering if you stay friends for your whole life with the people you'd consider your best friends over the internet you've made.

[ShadowSam19]

well it depends on if the two friends both stay doing the same thing. But usually people get jobs after college, then get families, and by that time they have no more time for online games or chatting. If they both still did then of course the freindship would remain, but due to the pressures of adulthood i doubt two people could remain in touch online consistently for 20+ yrs

[Faux]

umm, my friendships online last hardly long at all, most of my friends on my runescape friends list are never spoken to. I wonder why they dont last long... :?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hehe.. maybe you choke em.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't really have much 'online' friends. There's a few that I talk to about random things but there's not one that I share my hobbies or interests with. Besides, I don't really trust people I meet online =S I've been brainwashed by the stupid commercials :o

[Peter]

When you have online friends you met from a game (presumably where many friends are aquired around here), you have common grounds to speak of. When one or both of you quit the game, those initial common grounds are lost, and you have no real reason to stay friends with the person, unless new grounds have been made.

[Hannibal]

When you have online friends you met from a game (presumably where many friends are aquired around here), you have common grounds to speak of. When one or both of you quit the game, those initial common grounds are lost, and you have no real reason to stay friends with the person, unless new grounds have been made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's very true, but who says you have to become friends through a game? I realize that that's probably what most people on this board are talking about, but it's definitely not the only way. I also think that 'general' online friendships made outside a game will last longer, because in that case, you're more like... friends with the actual person, instead of friends with the player of the game.

[Zippi08]

When you have online friends you met from a game (presumably where many friends are aquired around here), you have common grounds to speak of. When one or both of you quit the game, those initial common grounds are lost, and you have no real reason to stay friends with the person, unless new grounds have been made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nah, I don't agree. Who says you have to have the same interests as a person to stay friends with that person?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway, I only have about 2 friends that I really enjoy chatting to and that I chat to basically everytime I see them online and have things to talk to them about. I don't talk to the rest much at all. And I think I'll remain friends with the 2 friends, if they still have time to use the computer in the future, because I'm pretty sure I'll still be using the computer a lot in the future. So to answer your question, ya, I'll still be signing in on MSN to chat to them.

[mad4u689]

 

When you have online friends you met from a game (presumably where many friends are aquired around here), you have common grounds to speak of. When one or both of you quit the game, those initial common grounds are lost, and you have no real reason to stay friends with the person, unless new grounds have been made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's very true, but who says you have to become friends through a game? I realize that that's probably what most people on this board are talking about, but it's definitely not the only way. I also think that 'general' online friendships made outside a game will last longer, because in that case, you're more like... friends with the actual person, instead of friends with the player of the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*claps*

 

 

 

Well-said, Hannibal :D

[cjlhdevil]

 

 

When you have online friends you met from a game (presumably where many friends are aquired around here), you have common grounds to speak of. When one or both of you quit the game, those initial common grounds are lost, and you have no real reason to stay friends with the person, unless new grounds have been made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's very true, but who says you have to become friends through a game? I realize that that's probably what most people on this board are talking about, but it's definitely not the only way. I also think that 'general' online friendships made outside a game will last longer, because in that case, you're more like... friends with the actual person, instead of friends with the player of the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*claps*

 

 

 

Well-said, Hannibal :D

A game is normally the basis for friendship but they develop finding more common ground, that's the reason I stick around with you weirdos :P

[Lionheart_0]

I met somone online abotu 5 monthes ago and we are still talking today, and its rarly about the game we talk about. our friendship continues out of the game.

[____]

A game is normally the basis for friendship but they develop finding more common ground, that's the reason I stick around with you weirdos :P

And because no one can resists the power of the darkwebz side once it has them :P

[dusqi]

I'm still talking to one of my earliest RS friends from 2001, Mystery Gerb - then of course there's Mad who I don't ever plan to let escape :P and also Robd75 from the RS boards in 2001... and then there's the darkwebz crew, we've been around for 1.5 years now, with mostly the same core people, all united around an IRC chat room :D I was 15 years old in 2001, 19 now.... It's been a long time :D

[Danabis]

 

A game is normally the basis for friendship but they develop finding more common ground, that's the reason I stick around with you weirdos :P

And because no one can resists the power of the darkwebz side once it has them :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The force must be strong in me then. I find myself dropping by less and less now.

[Herr]

Whilst I still know a lot of the first people I met on the game, I don't associate with them much any more. But I still do occasionally.

[AniseCookies]

for me, ill prob say until another 5 years. All my online friends started in rs...

[Hannibal]

A game is normally the basis for friendship but they develop finding more common ground, that's the reason I stick around with you weirdos :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So what you're saying is, we're weirdos, but you have a common ground with us... Think that through again, will you Cj? :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*runs*

[99Diablo99]

i got 3 friends no make that 4 on my msn, that i known for a good 4-6 years

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

even though we havent met in real life but they are like my second brother and sister.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

other words they are my best friends.

[How2PK]

Most of those friendships are gone, I still have contact with a few though. But I got sucked into Darkwebz too, about a year ago now, I think. And that's amazing, really enjoying it, and most of the time there is somebody around, with some exceptions, like this moment. :cry: :P

[____]

I'm doing an assignments, what's everyone else excuse :P

 

 

 

*first up irc anyways*