Friendship Over The Internet: The Use Of Friendship Over The Internet

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In this essay I will be talking about friendship and if it is capable to obtain friendship over the internet. I will first talk about Cocking and Matthew and their article Unreal Friends and how they believe friendship cannot be capable over the internet and social media. Secondly I will discuss Briggle and his article Real friends: how the internet can foster friendship and how he thinks that it is very possible for friendship to form online. Then lastly I will talk about my views and how I agree that friendship can take place over the net and how I agree with Cocking and Matthew’s argument. After reading the article Unreal Friends written by Dean Cocking and Steven Matthew and getting a better understanding of the reading, I think what they
Non-verbal cues play a big part in genuine friendship. It’s a lot harder to hide these cues in the real world where they can be easily picked up by a close friend, rather than online where you can easily hide your emotions. This makes the real world friendship more genuine and truthful (Cocking and Matthews, 2000, p. 228). Adam Briggle also talks about how on online friendships in his article Real friends: how the internet can foster friendship. He states that we can sell our best quality and hide or not show the weaker side of ourselves, whereas in face-face friendships we may not be able to hide those negative traits about ourselves and they may just come out without our knowledge. This being said gives us or the internet user full control on how and what they what to share with other individuals online. (Briggle, 2008, p.
However after reading both articles and getting a greater grasp on each authors arguments, I have changed my view and think that Cocking and Matthew have the better argument out of the two articles. I believe that friendship is more genuine and true when you can see and experience things with your friend. The things you both do, learn, and share with each other all have a positive outlook, even if it’s personal information it builds an overall better foundation to strengthen your relationship. In online friendships you wouldn’t be able to get the full experience. You would only be getting half the experience in a friendship, if that. Friendship to me is being able to experience and make memories with each other that last a lifetime; memories that you can look back and laugh at the things you did together as friends not as online friends. Friendship memories are remembered, while online friends come and

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