Week of April 29-May 2 Question 1

I have not made friendships that exist exclusively in cyberspace. I do keep in contact with people on facebook, myspace, and email but the people I communicate with online I also talk to them on the phone. The Internet is different in that I have a small idea with what is going on with people' lives because of their status on these social networks.

I have not formed cyber relationships because I am lucky enough to have a core group of friends that I do not have to communicate through the Internet. I do not want to sound conceded or lazy but I feel I have enough close friends I feel I do not wish to put the effort into having a cyber relationship. After seeing the movie You Got Mail, they had to talk all the time to proceed with their friendship. I feel meeting people face to face and spending 20 minutes with a person would equal five or six messages back and forth. Why go through such a methodical means of communication when a phone call or face to face meeting can advance one further in the relationship. I believe that too often people look for compatibility in our friends through people's profiles. I believe too often people today look for compatibility by examining people's Internet profiles. Most of my great friendships come from personal experiences and social events. If I looked at some of my friends profiles on the Internet I would not have chosen to communicate with some of my good friends. It is important for our society to not get too wrapped up in cyberspace relationships. Good old fashioned face to face interaction can give us the best indication of compatibility.