Oh damn, another play I really want to see. I must find a way to stay on top of what's happening in theatre! Become a member of Roundabout or something...they've been calling me, actually. Hmm.
He has lots of friends, we learn, but...only on the Internet. Damn. Why does that always have to be some shorthand for failing at life?
...It's pretty sad that I'm hearing that, getting it, feeling bad and also sitting in my seat reminding myself of every real-life social interaction I've had in the past month. I've got real friends! I think I'm okay!
It's a very pernicious stereotype, with more than a bit of truth to it in my experience. There's definitely a schism of sorts between online interactions and "meatspace" ones – the latter are taken far more seriously and carry more weight. My offline friends DO take the piss out of me for having an LJ and allotting a certain amount of time and attention to online interaction; I sometimes have to remind them that the people at the other end of the electrons & wires are, in fact, human beings and not figments of the imagination.
I've also found that internet "friendships" can be deceptive, in that people seem closer or more intimate than they really are. It's easier to hide behind well-written prose, or just blatantly LIE about who one is and how one feels. So yes – virtual relationships can be and often are dicey, and are no substitute for flesh & blood interactions. That doesn't mean they're automatically hopeless or a waste of time, however! They're two very different things that often get equated...to the detriment of both, I think.
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Date: 2006-06-02 08:56 pm (UTC)He has lots of friends, we learn, but...only on the Internet. Damn. Why does that always have to be some shorthand for failing at life?
...It's pretty sad that I'm hearing that, getting it, feeling bad and also sitting in my seat reminding myself of every real-life social interaction I've had in the past month. I've got real friends! I think I'm okay!
It's a very pernicious stereotype, with more than a bit of truth to it in my experience. There's definitely a schism of sorts between online interactions and "meatspace" ones – the latter are taken far more seriously and carry more weight. My offline friends DO take the piss out of me for having an LJ and allotting a certain amount of time and attention to online interaction; I sometimes have to remind them that the people at the other end of the electrons & wires are, in fact, human beings and not figments of the imagination.
I've also found that internet "friendships" can be deceptive, in that people seem closer or more intimate than they really are. It's easier to hide behind well-written prose, or just blatantly LIE about who one is and how one feels. So yes – virtual relationships can be and often are dicey, and are no substitute for flesh & blood interactions. That doesn't mean they're automatically hopeless or a waste of time, however! They're two very different things that often get equated...to the detriment of both, I think.