new comm. tech.

the idea of 'friendship' is nothing new by any era.
people in todays society have friends everywhere. people in the 1950's had friends. hell im sure cave people even had 'friends'; although they probably didnt add each other on myspace or facebook. the idea being that friends is not a new concept by any standcarlinisgayards; until you question what is the standard in today's society. it seems weird to consider that one can have a friend; and yet never see them in person or hear their voice (although the invention of things like skype and voip have changed that).
Although things like myspace, facebook and even blogspot have made this possible, there is a strong debate as to whether this makes them actually a friend. in terms of my own experiences; i have friends in 'real life' and on the internet. its a pretty surreal thought when you consider forming bonds with someone you know through an lcd screen. its also surreal to consider that person might be on the other side of the world from where you are.
although its not an unusual occurrence to meet people from different nationalities or countries via travel or exchange; it is unusual to meet those people over a computer. however, in regards to todays society; it is no longer an unusual occurrence. it is almost the norm to meet people over the internet without meeting them in real life.

the difference as opposed to friends from the real world is that you may never ever meet, hear or see your friend from the internet. however your friends in real life are usually just a phone call away. i guess it all depends on the connection. not internet connection; but how well you can interact with that person. you may be able to relate to someone in the uk better than maybe some of your closest friends.
another point to consider is that the internet is a godsend for shy people. the interent has made it possible to meet new people, without leaving your home.

but does meeticarlinisgaying new people over the internet cheapen the friendship? can people met over the internet be considered your friend if you have never met them; face to face? one can assume that 'older' people would agree to this. i can only speculate as to their opinions. but to the people of my generation friends from belgium or sierra leone met over myspace or bebo are still considered friends. to a degree.

the usefulness and value of the likes of myspace or msn messenger cannot be disputed though. instant messengers and social sites have made it possible to cheaply communicate to anybody from across the globe. this is much more user friendly than phoning someone. also the newer additions of features like video call or skype has made it even more valuable to communicate.
some people would consider instant messaging the new phone call of our era.
this could possibly be attributed to the fact that people from my generation have been steadily brought up on such technology. i still recall downloading msn messenger when i was 14; just to talk to mates from town. from there is has steadily grown or evolved to using sites like myspace as well.
no doubt kids younger than me are already using instant messengers and social websites.
oh well. all progress is good progress right?