Most of us have probably done it before. I know I have. You get caught up in your online life, with your online friends and all of that drama and such. You might end up forgetting about your “real” friends. Here’s how to keep it separate. 
The term “online friend” and “irl friend”.
I’ve never liked this, only because just because someone lives 20,000 miles away from me, instead of 4 blocks doesn’t make them any less of a friend. Doesn’t mean I don’t trust them the same as I trust the friend who lives in my town. People say other people don’t type how they talk but they do Skype how they talk. It’s really not that different.
Time with the friends you live close to.
I think it’s best not to bring up your online life as best you can. I mean unless you’re some YouTuber with a million subscribers, it just seems easier to not say anything. While it’s not hiding it, it’s not broadcasting it to people who don’t really need to know.
The whole “e-dating” thing.
When you interact with people online, you might end up falling for them. It happens quite often, but this doesn’t mean everyone should have access to your private life or who you decide to share it with. So, when it comes time for the “Facebook Relationship Status”, you can say no. You can say, “I don’t want my family and friends here to find out and that should be understandable.
Splitting your time.
Sometimes, when you get caught up in good drama online or something, you might get stuck when you don’t want to go out with your friends and to be honest, that’s okay. But once it gets into a habit that you don’t see anyone anymore, it needs to change.
Safety.
I hate when people give me the “Internet Safety” talk. You think you know, yes, there are some creeps out there but when you’ve been on video calls, talked on the phone and such, it’s really not that big of a deal. I know family can be a bother with that, especially older ones that don’t have experience with online friends.
Good luck with your online-y people.
Be the first to comment