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What are the pros and cons of making friends online?

302 Answers
Last Updated: 06/19/2022 at 6:34pm
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Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
January 21st, 2019 12:14am
The Internet is a great way for making new friends from all over the world, and you can do this literally in your bedroom without the need of travelling. However, although "internet friends" has lots of advantages, you must not dismiss the disadvantages as it could put you in serious trouble. Some of the pros and cons of making friends online include: Pros: 1. You are able to meet people from all around the world, people of different cultures. 2. It helps when you’re feeling lonely and need someone to talk to 3. You can make a lot of friends and not worry about your physical appearance Cons: 1. Catfishing (someone who pretends to be someone else online) is a serious issue 2. Sites such as dating sites are normally used by criminals 3. Increases your chances of being deceived by criminals. They would try to gain your trust before asking you for money or other items of value to help their or someone’s cause
michelle2000
July 20th, 2016 7:21pm
Pros: New friends! Happiness! Cons: You can only talk online They could be lying about their identity
Anonymous
August 28th, 2016 4:25pm
Pros: You don't have to talk to them in person if you get anxious about that. You can usually tell when they're around to talk. You can have a safe space within a chat with them, its not like anyone else is reading it. Cons: It could be someone toxic. Sometimes they're not the people you thought they were. Timezones.
Anonymous
July 24th, 2016 11:22pm
The pros about making friends online is it can be an escapism from reality for you. You have less emotional stimuli / less to invest in an online friendship. Thecons are your friend online can share your details with anyone. Online friendships are more risky and have less depth as there is real physical space.
Anonymous
August 9th, 2016 10:17pm
we make friends in our real life and when we make online friends we try to have something different in them , something that all of our friends don't have. So I think we try to fill those things that are missing in our real friends and only con to that is we cant meet them .
CanuckDownUnder
September 3rd, 2016 4:14am
Pros: You are able to find people you might never have met otherwise, or people outside your social circles. Online interaction is great for people who struggle with social anxiety or meeting new people. I myself met my husband online, and although we lived in the same city, we probably never would have met on our own! Cons: Unfortunately there are some people out there who prey on people online or who don't show their true self, and you do have to choose your acquaintances wisely. If someone starts out sounding nice and then turns out to be someone you don't want/need in your life, it can be very difficult to break the ties. But you just have to be careful, and willing to sever communications if need be. Remember to always put your well-being first.
BreeBat
February 1st, 2020 7:35pm
Making a friend online gives you the opportunity to meet someone for their personality without knowing what they look like. In a way it's good because if you are usually self conscious with your appearance, you don't need to worry about being judged. It's also good to make a friend not near your hometown and let you explore new people you otherwise would've never met in person. The cons are that the person on the other side of the screen could lie to you really easily, and trust may not be present in the friendship. They could also disappear without a clear reason why, and that can be hurtful if the relationship made is strong. It is also difficult for the most part to meet them at some point. It's always important to be safe with the people you meet online.
Anonymous
May 31st, 2018 7:20pm
A big pro is that they are always there. A friend you can carry along in your pocket, if you will. And the biggest con is that you can't talk to them face to face. You can't hug them or just sit next to each other in peaceful silence.
Akor1
July 22nd, 2018 11:41pm
Pro's: Being anonymous can make it easier to talk to someone without fear of judgement. Cons: You don't know if the person you are talking to are sincere. As a note, never give out your personal information to people online.
BrandonCares1074
May 4th, 2018 8:32pm
Pros are you have people to talk to, there are more people you can talk to, you won't be judged on your looks. Cons are you cant have face to face conversations and you may not always be able to reach the other person.
confidentPeace19
April 15th, 2018 6:30pm
The pros are that they’re friends. They’ll be people you can talk to and have fun with. The cons can be that you can’t always tell that they’re who they told you they are.
LondynRose
July 10th, 2016 9:51pm
The pros are that you can get to know people that you may have never of had the chance to meet had you not connected with them on the internet. The cons are is that people online may not be who they say they are - it could be potentially dangerous meeting up with them so it is important to take precautions if you do choose to meet them.
Anonymous
March 7th, 2018 11:07pm
Pros: it is anonymous. U can share everything with them. They will listen it without being judgemental. But it may become CONS: when u start to share ur personal details with them because after knowing personal details they may start judging u. They can also threaten you or bully you coz they know much about you.. so don't share personal details online and be safe.
BlueRoseAoiBara
January 20th, 2018 6:50am
The pros are you'll get to meet new people from different background and countries. You will also have the opportunity to learn new cultures and see the world from different perspective. The cons are it is hard to know for sure if they are not pretending to be someone else online, you won't be able to hang out together in real life and you can't reveal too much information online for the your own safety. Overall, making friends online is a good thing as long as you exercise caution and remain open minded for new people.
openyourmindbeforeyourmouth
September 15th, 2016 11:54am
Pros are that since there are so many young people on social media, you can most likely find some one with same or similar interests as you! But on the other hand, sadly, you can't see them and spend time with them whenever you want.
bubbleshoes
December 3rd, 2017 11:53pm
Pros: can keep in touch over long distances, more accessible to people with disabilities and those who are geographically isolated, a convenient means of communication. Cons: there is a loss of physical connection with others, online communication is lacking important cues such as tone of voice, body language, facial expression, so things can be easily misunderstood and understanding is sub-optimal. I also just love people's little quirks and nuances that you sometimes only notice in real life. Some of the things that make people human, real, relatable, amicable, and inspirational.
Anonymous
September 4th, 2016 11:09am
Pros: You get to make friends from a very vast area. You get to know different types of people, from different cultures and backgrounds. Cons : You don't really know what the person is like in real life. You never know whether or not the information he shared is true.
chocolatesugar
January 11th, 2020 5:49pm
well the best thing about it is that you are able to talk to new people and learn new things and potentially make one of your best friends. However the disadvantage to it is that you might lose contact with them which hurts alot and you may never message them again. Also you might feel like you cant trust them. Personally i have alot of online friends who i share my problems with and talk about to about my life because some of them i can trust and i know they wont use it against me so over all it is pretty good.
adoredIcicle46
August 5th, 2016 4:15am
Pros are having a neutral friend to talk to and not being judged (sometimes) but the cons is if they stop communicating or stop talking it can cause chaos because they may be gone or even away for some reason and that you won't be able to see them irl (well sometimes some people do.)
Anonymous
August 11th, 2016 12:12pm
Pros: sharing is easier, more chances to talk, more depth in conversation. Cons: trust issues and distance.
Anonymous
August 6th, 2016 11:25am
Pros you can stay anonymous, you can talk about things you haven't told others to name a few.. Cons trusting is not advisable and trolls..
Anonymous
August 6th, 2016 8:15am
Pros - you can find someone that shares the same hobbies as you. Cons - it is much harder to spend time together, and there are some experiences that can only be shared offline.
Anonymous
August 11th, 2016 1:10pm
You get to chat about situations and feelings anonymously, but you don't get to actually meet new people. Physical appearance is important to some.
cryingkoalas
August 12th, 2016 11:03pm
Pros: - You get to know people better since all you can do is talk - You learn a ton of new different things and cultures - It's easier if you struggle with anxiety - You find all these new people that can bring you happiness as an escape from the real world Cons - Catfish - Not being able to hang out with your friends in real life - Not being able to be there 24/7 and not knowing if a friend is alright or not if they're offline - Different timezones
Anonymous
July 16th, 2016 12:23pm
There are definitely cons if you expect to have someone by your side at all times, and actually meet up and hang out regularly. However there are a lot of pros, such as discovering new cultures by meeting people all over the planet, build actual, solid friendships with people who will always do their best for you... I met most of my pals online and (always safely) met up with them, and this is the best experience ever :) Virtual friends are just as important as physical ones, just like the wonderful communities like 7 Cups.
merciwrath
August 7th, 2016 8:09am
The biggest pro is that, especially on a website like this, you can truly connect with people that have similar things going on as you, whereas that is a lot harder in real life. It is a lot easier to reach out to people and it can be done anonymously as well, bringing less pressure onto expressing emotions. However, there is that one con that everyone knows: are they genuine?
sonum91
August 21st, 2016 9:32pm
Pros are that people can think better what to say while chatting over the internet. The problem is that a lot of valuable info is lost (faces, gestures, voice tones...)
fallenangelxo
August 6th, 2016 8:38pm
Some pros are you get to meet other people around the world. Some cons are you don't know if you're being catfish.
Anonymous
July 28th, 2016 4:29am
Being anonymous is easier, you can speak without feeling judge, but also you can leave anytime you want :)
Zac001
August 7th, 2016 5:56am
I have found some of my closest friends online. It seems easier to open up and be yourself. I do have to say thought be careful who you trust and dont put your self in a place that could be dangerous.