Do virtual friends help our health, too?

Great cause to follow! There's nothing than to help out people in distress!!!!!

Given that after graduating school I quickly lost touch with most of my RL friends, having online friends is a godsend. Sure they're not always available, but most of the time if I need a shoulder, someone's there to give a shoulder.

I actually met my best friends through the internet. Granted we had mutual friends in real life but we had no idea until later! If it wasn't for them, I honestly don't know what I would've done.

I agree that virtual friends are just as important as local friends. My virtual friends are my life line now that I had to terminate relationships with so-called friends who all turned out to be worse than any enemy that I could imagine. I must check Yahoo Shine and Facebook 10-20 times a day to see the latest posts and to hear what my friends are doing. Some I get along with better than others but they are all valued and their opinons are respected.

One really positive aspect of virtual friends over local friends....it's a little hard to stab someone in the back or lie on someone when the whole world is viewing your conversation. At this point in my life...THAT is priceless.

I met a friend through Yahoo Answers. We were both taking a vacation at the same time of year, for pretty much the same reason, to the same place! (Disney, May 2008, with our boyfriends to celebrate 3 years together)...
We began e-mailing back and forth about trip planning and now we e-mail about everything! Its almost like therapy! We e-mail about our hectic work days or relationship problems, or about things that we're excited about!!
I almost feel more comfortable sharing certian things with her becuase I dont know her personally!! I dont usually hold anything back becuase I'll probably never meet this girl. We're like pen-pals!! So even things that I cant share with my closest family/friends, I can share with my 'virtual friend'. (We all have things we're uncomfortable talking about but desperately need to get them off our minds...even something as silly as our dress size!)...

In biology, psychology, and a few other classes - I learned about how friendships are important for our health. People who have routine meetings with friends (Going out to dinner with a certian group every tuesday, or chatting on the phone every monday wednesday and friday at 6pm, or whatever it may be...)...live significantly longer than those who dont. I do think that this should also apply to virtual friends.

THIS IS STILL THE BEST PLACE TO BLOG!!!!! AMEN Habanero!!! Thanks for the "heads up"!!!

All the ups and downs are everywhere... but you all keep me kickin!!!!!! I've had my spats, yet it always seems to turn out OK!!! (for me thanks to Emma Mae) Who has kept me from going on a spaz spree a couple of times!!!

I love you all!!!!!!! Life just wouldn't be good enough without you!!!!!

Since I became unemployed due to my disabilities getting worse, I literally had nobody I could speak to about my life.
When I was working I had a lot of interaction with different people, since I was a caseworker.
Then I suffered an injury,that kept me in a wheelchair. I turned to my computer and made many friends. That was almost a year ago.
Since then, I have made more friends that I feel comfortable speaking too. I have been encouraged by many every time I go to physical therapy.
I look forward to giving all my friends an update every time I go.
I have extra motivation. I cannot thank my friends enough for always being here for me.
I have laughed, cried and prayed with many.
I know in my heart that I will meet some of these fine people one day.
Yes, I know in my heart that these friends have been a blessing to me when I was injured.
Now, in physical therapy, I am dancing THE SALSA, thanking and thinking of them.

I think it does help, no matter if our friends are real or online, having someone to talk to DOES help our spiritual well-being.

HMMM. Thats very interesting.

Keith actually put me in a full nelson at one point but I managed to escape and we ended in a tie!

I have made some of the best friends ever on shine. I can't believe how wonderful they are. It has helped me enormously. They know who they are. :)

Since I became unemployed due to my disabilities getting worse, I literally had nobody I could speak to about my life.
When I was working I had a lot of interaction with different people, since I was a caseworker.
Then I suffered an injury,that kept me in a wheelchair. I turned to my computer and made many friends. That was almost a year ago.
Since then, I have made more friends that I feel comfortable speaking too. I have been encouraged by many every time I go to physical therapy.
I look forward to giving all my friends an update every time I go.
I have extra motivation. I cannot thank my friends enough for always being here for me.
I have laughed, cried and prayed with many.
I know in my heart that I will meet some of these fine people one day.
Yes, I know in my heart that these friends have been a blessing to me when I was injured.
Now, in physical therapy, I am dancing THE SALSA, thanking and thinking of them.

I have met some of the best people online and I can say most of them have changed my life in a great way I am a better person today now that I have met my online family

I met one of my best friends via the internet. Even though she lives over 6,000 miles away I feel like that doesn't make it any less genuine. Friendship is what you make of it and I feel like I've become a better person from having her as a friend.

I feel it is only human to have interaction. Through out history, means of communication has grown with technology. Mail. Teletype. Telephone. Email. Video. Internet Chat.

Though the interaction of internet is less personal because of the nature of not reading the feelings of someones facial expressions or posture it can non the less full fill the needs of someone to interact.

Trust can be built on all levels and this gives you the ability to filter out 100,000 people to find the 40 which have the same common interest.

Also someone who may be shy still needs the interaction and the ability to express to others thier feelings.

AWWW Baby.... that was foreplay!!!!!!!! Loves!!!!!

i've met a lot of friends online although some are really nasty and would just fool you, but nevertheless it's fun, and ive learned a lot from those people who are really good and serious, it helped especially when you are feeling down, just pop-up and here they are, willing to listen and give you some points and advices..it's really great.. another thing is i've created a long distance relationship with this guy (my virtual bf) for almost 2 years now.. it's nice to know and such a great feeling that someone from afar really cares for you, gives u hugs, kisses and love as if he were really here beside me, we only not talk online but he really gives me a call almost everyday just to tell me how much he cares and love me even if his telephone bills goes up, we talk a lot of things under the sun.. well hopefully we'll meet sooner, and we've started planning for both of us..

Specifically on Shine, I have made incredible friendships and met my separated-at-birth sister.

I have learned patience, respect, long distance love. I have also learned to not believe all that is written and to reread things more than once before responding.

I have learned how completely committed to certain beliefs some people are and have come to terms with letting it rest. I have also learned not to back down.

I know that if Shine could receive Emmy's for Duhrama..........we would clean up. If Oscar's were given out for Costume Change there would be a sweep. As for best Actor/Actress Oscar's........move over Kate Winslet and Sean Penn.

Everyday on Shine I learn something pretty spectacular and hysterical.

LMAO.............Keith!!!!

i think that online friends are just as important as your vitual friends. i love my real friends dearly and spending time with them is near and dear to my heart. but i also smile when i get a text from a text buddy or a message from a friend that i met online. like the other posters have stated, it's amazing how a little text or message asking about your day or telling you good night can make you feel.