Image  via  Flickr:  Amanda  Venner  h4ps://flic.kr/p/8wwpTx  

What is a friend?

Image  via  Flickr:  wolfgangfoto  h4ps://flic.kr/p/4DYHtX  

friend:(noun) a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations. [1]

Image  via  Flickr:  Michael  Simmons  h4ps://flic.kr/p/NPC3h  

FRIEND: (verb) add (someone) to a list of contacts associated with a social networking website. [1]

Image  via  Flickr:  Garry  Knight  h4ps://flic.kr/p/bER864      

“As  individuals  have  needs  for  inUmacy  and  companionship,  the  use  of  the  Internet  for  communicaUon  purposes  provides  a  new  venue  to  meet  others  and  create  close  relaUonships.”  [3]    

Image  via  Flickr:  Chris  Dlugosz  h4ps://flic.kr/p/4YCwnW    

RESEARCH HAS FOUND THAT: 63.3 % OF ADOLESCENT FRIENDSHIPS BEGIN IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD 24.1 % OF ADOLESCENT FRIENDSHIPS BEGIN AT SCHOOL

12.6 % OF ADOLESCENT FRIENDSHIPS BEGIN ONLINE [3]

Image  via  Flickr:  Asha  ten  Broeke    h4ps://flic.kr/p/7DVVRT      

People who use the internet to begin friendships typically befriend those who resemble themselves (similar lifestyles, likes, dislikes, etc.) [2]

Image  via  Flickr:  Kerry  Sanders  h4ps://flic.kr/p/obBTE  

BUT…

We  must  sUll  consider  how  that  compares  to  making  friends  in  the  offline  world.  When  friends  are  made  at  school,  in  the  neighbourhood,  or  recreaUonal  acUviUes,  do  we  not  make  those  friends  based  on  similar  interests?  

Image  via  Flickr:  Joel  Cooper  h4ps://flic.kr/p/9tL5J  

THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS: on the Internet, you get to decide who you are, what your interests are, and whether you are truthful to reality.

Image  via  Flickr:  Wendell  h4ps://flic.kr/p/6LaB7f  

“Frequent  Internet  use  is  more  likely  to  occur  among  individuals  suffering  from  social  anxiety,  low  self-­‐esteem,  and  lack  of  sociability.”  [3]  

Image  via  Flickr:  jaci  Lopes  dos  Santos  h4ps://flic.kr/p/84ATAp  

The best part about friendship online is that, if you want to, you can end a conversation, end emotion, end the problem, end the relationship all at the click of a button!!

Image  via  Flickr:  Caro  Wallis  h4ps://flic.kr/p/7stNaj  

Adolescents who engage in higher levels of conflict with their parents are also more likely to form friendships online. [3]

Image  via  Flickr:  Marco  h4ps://flic.kr/p/dcH7rX    

The internet has become a safe place for adolescents to speak their minds, express themselves, and vent frustrations with not only their current friends but potential and new friends.  

Image  via  Flickr:  Jean-­‐Pierre  Dalbera  h4ps://flic.kr/p/5aZhk8  

With internet users so young, this practice has become ingrained within our society.  

Image  via  Flickr:  Royce  Bair  h4ps://flic.kr/p/7icRw2       These  users  are  able  

to  access  people  and  “friends”  across  the  world,  of  different  ages,  and  without  the  supervision  of  parental  figures.      

Image  via  Flickr:  epSos  .de  h4ps://flic.kr/p/8vVqqW      

If you CAN access friends all around the world, why would you not?

Image  via  Flickr:  Renato  Ganoza  h4ps://flic.kr/p/7QYtpH    

“Not only are adolescents making new friends in the Internet, but also these friends are changing the extent of similarity in gender and age of their social networks.” [3]

Image  via  Flickr:  Stefan  Baudy  h4ps://flic.kr/p/wTgzo  

So  now  we  must  ask  ourselves:  WHAT  DOES  IT  MEAN  TO  BE  SOMEBODY’S  FRIEND?  

Image  via  Flickr:  Marco  Pakoeningrat  h4ps://flic.kr/p/4DmkbS    

Ridiculously large numbers of online friends, as seen on major social media sites or online social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram make us question the relevance of the term “friendship”. [4]

It  is  criUcal  to  disUnguish  between  the  noun  and  the  verb.  

“Online friendship is an umbrella name for real friendship and various

degrees of acquaintanceship… only

25% of contacts are recognized as real

friends.” [4]

SO, how did you meet your friends?!

SOURCES:!

[1]    "Friend."  Dic$onary.com.  N.p.,  2014.  Web.  22  May  2014.  <h4p://    dicUonary.reference.com/browse/friend?s=t>.  

 [2]  Amichai-­‐Hamburger,  Yair,  Mila  Kingsbury,  and  Barry  H.  Schneider.    

 "Friendship:  An  Old  Concept  with  a  New  Meaning?"  Computers  in      Human  Behavior  29.2013  (2012):  33-­‐39.  26  Aug.  2012.  Web.  23  May  2014.  

 [3]  Mesch,  Gustavo  S.,  and  Ilan  Talmud.  "Online  Friendship  FormaUon,    

 CommunicaUon  Channels,  and  Social  Closeness."  Interna$onal      Journal  of  Internet  Science  1.1  (2006):  29-­‐44.  Web.  23  May  2014.  

 [4]  Zinoviev,  Dmitry,  and  Vy  Duong.  "Toward  Understanding  Friendship  in    

 Online  Social  Networks."  Interna$onal  Journal  of  Technology,      Knowledge,  and  Society  (2009):  n.  pag.  Web.  23  May  2014.    

   

Image  via  Flickr:  Paulo  Otavio  h4ps://flic.kr/p/7qBgkT