Before Facebook, Fluther and other social online sites - did we have fewer friendships but stronger bonds?

Not really, in my case. I make a lot of “surface” or situational friends in the real world but I feel the bond goes deeper and into different levels with some of my online friends. Fewer distractions and not pigeon-holing a person into a particular role, I think.

Great to see you back, @zen

Maybe so. The friends I made before the internet would have taken me in when I needed it. I visited them and stayed in their homes and returned the favor.

My internet friends… hard to tell. Some say they would put me up if I needed it, and I believe them. But some are in no position to do so. I’m not sure what that means.

I don’t think I can really answer this question. It is true I have more friends now. But I can’t evaluate the strength of the bonds.

My Facebook interactions mirror my real life interactions. The only difference is that people I would be closer to if they lived nearby I have more communication with despite their living far away.

I wouldn’t call but a very very few online associations actual “friendships”. Most here and there are merely “associations”. Let’s be honest, it’s not like anyone here actually trusts me. And visaverso!

I trust my friends and they trust me. And in real life, currently, I have very few real bonding friends. But those I have are down with the team and invaluable on many fronts.

So, no… not for me.

oh yeah, you’ve been missed zen… but that doesn’t mean we’re friends. ok buddy?

I use social networking sites to keep up-to-date on friends I know in real life. They may be old friends from school or distant family members or colleagues and co-workers. I use Fluther as an anonymous place to address questions, concerns and problems I may have and to reach out to others who have the same.

@zen : It’s good to see you.

I would say no, but that is because I have lived in five different states and have friends from all across the country. If it wasn’t for Facebook, I don’t feel that I would be as up to date with my out of state friends. Especially when I don’t like most of the people that I have to coexist with in Minnesota, Facebook helps me keep my strong ties with the friends that I actually do enjoy chatting with. I also have stronger bonds with the people that I should have lost contact with because of my moves.
I do feel that sometimes Facebook is overused by many, but I feel it helped me keep many strong bonds with a lot of my life-long friends.

Answering for myself, no. I have always had many friends and strong bonds.

I’ve always had few friendships, but with strong bonds. Not much different from now or 25 years ago, just a different way to interact.

Yeah. Because most interactions are just to keep up with what others do. It’s just a facade now. A few years ago when you saw a friend you had a lot to talk about. Now we just do light things and we barely have what to talk about if we see each other once every two – three days.

Some people naturally form more weak bonds. Some people like having many acquaintances and perhaps one best friend. Other’s have a small group of close friends, and a few acquaintances. So I think people cultivate the kinds of friendships they want no matter what the means for cultivation is.

I didn’t. Friendships are just as good.

You internet people are company for me, facebook is amazing to keep in touch, but, I’m old, my friends are years long. I’d love to meet you guys.