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Dear KiKi: Am I a Loser for Having Internet Friends?
My family seems to think so….
Dear KiKi,
It isn’t that I don’t have, or can’t make, friends in real life. However, as an introvert and someone who is far more at ease making witty conversation behind the comfort of my keyboard, I totally prefer my online social life. My family says this makes me weird. Maybe that’s true — but I don’t have nearly as much fun with the relationships in my daily life as I do with my circle of friends online. I feel confident and funny with my internet group, and our interactions give me something to look forward to and laugh about. I haven’t felt this happy in a while. But over the holidays my family practically had an intervention about my “friendships with strangers” on the internet and for days I had to hear all the reasons these online interactions shouldn’t make me feel good. The woman I consider my very best friend is someone I met online, and my mother insists she is a dirty pedophile living in a basement somewhere. She’s not! I FaceTime with her constantly! Am I really a loser for having online friends?
Signed,
Shy Sarah
Dear Sarah,
But over the holidays my family practically had an intervention about my “friendships with strangers” on the internet and for…
