Dot com friends or friends IRL( in real life)?? It's a matter of trust in this digital age!!

Friends are needless to say, the most precious treasures of our life. The one who always stands by your side no matter what and how the situation is. The one who makes you laugh in your downs and takes you on high even when you feel low. How cool is that... isn't it?? Don't you all think that God has been kind enough to give us the chance to choose our friends by our own over any other realtions in this world. But what if friends fall apart.!!! Have you ever given a thought on why even after staying close you feel leftout at times, especially when you need them the most. All thanks to this new digital era. 

With all my gratitude to the inventors of this digital platform, I would like to pen my thoughts as, what was actually designed to connect friends is now driving them apart. No one can deny the fact that every relation do change with time depending upon situations and priorities and  so do friendships. But in this digital age, the derailment is much earlier and far greater. Friendship today is restricted to just chatbox and emojis. Atleast with texting and emojis you acknowledge your friends but most of the time people don't even bother to wait and comment. This is the time you feel ignored totally. It happens with all of us. Some friends atleast find time to makeup for this, by calling you once in a month or even once in six months and then there are those who are silent stalkers.Now keep thinking who is who in your friend list!!🤔

Being online is like being transparent

Whatever activity you do online is inescapable. Whether it's your stories, posts, check-ins, locations or your private parties... everything is visible. There are times when you think that why this particular friend is not responding back to your text while they can be seen liking ten pictures on Instagram in past 5 minutes. At other times you may feel irritated when someone gives excuses for not doing something, meanwhile their social media behaviour tells a different story altogether. This transparency of social media is very brutal and becomes a cause of friction and fallouts in friendships.

Dealing with unintended consequences

There is always a certain degree of tension you have to deal with while using social media. One person can't make everyone happy and that too at the same time. Even for a genuine reason if you can't make for someone's party, you are bound not to post pictures of being in another occasion the next day. If you do so, it might hurt the first person. So there lies the consequences which are actually unintended but then who cares about your intentions. Everyone believes what they see.

Mutual friends matters

Life before social media was awesome in a way as nobody had to worry about enjoying activities with some friends and not others. In today's new world, to whom you are associating is likely to be seen by atleast some people who happens to be friends of friends....your mutual friends! 

Ways to become a good friend in the age of social media

Pick up the phone:-  The ease of texting, DMs and emails are undenyable but I still think picking up phone and giving a call to a friend once in a while is much more amazing.  It's always better than a virtual message as hearing from someone really helps to reconnect.

Meet up in person:- Scheduling an in person visit to a friend over coffee or a dinner is always the best way to stay connected and show what they mean to you. While meeting, focus on your conversations and not complaints. Meet with a sweet smile😊 and a warm hug.

Make an effort:- Never hesitate to take the first step and make an effort for your friends. Mostly we take our  friends for granted and think they will always be there. But in my opinion , friendships requires work too. You never know how busy is your friend. So be the one to ask for meeting rather than waiting for your friend to ask you. 

Prioritise:- Since we are connected to so many people online, we are actually exposed to the lives of lot more people. Whether you like it or not but you definately can't ignore it. It becomes exhausting to keep up with everyone so prioritising your true friends out of the whole lot is very important.  

Be patient:- We all must be having atleast that one friend who is terrible in responding back and being at the recieving end is frustrating. But you got to be little patient while handling relationships. It's always good to give someone time to answer as you never know what exactly is going on in their life.

 

Social media has certainly shifted the way we communicate and relate to the world around us. Though it advertises itself as increasing our connections, several studies shows that people who spend most of their time on social media are likely to be the most lonely person. Instead of enjoying quality time with your friends and family, you're busy watching stories of others with their friends and families.This activity of  'hanging out' on social media can result in neglecting your real world friendships. 

The over consumption of social media is like being on the point of double edged sword!! 

So be aware that being in the constant connection of your smartphones can negatively impact your physical and mental health whereas Friendship is vital to your health. 

Friends in this world exists to provide shoulder to cry on when things doesn't go right. No matter how sympathetic anyone sounds to your bad times on your social media handles, ultimately you need a real shoulder to cry on, real hands to hold you and a real someone to talk your heart out💖.

This Friendship day, let's be real. Real to those who matters to us. Real to those who love and care for us and real to those whom we never want to lose ever. Pick up your phones and talk to your buddies now. Go visit them. Create bonds that never breaks!!

Wish you all a very Happy Friendship day!🤝