How many friends do you have?

[Esmeralda]

Maybe as people age, they don't have the same drive to run around or do the goofy stuff they did when they were 25 and single. I have... three? ... close friends and we don't hang out like we did when we were young. We still get together, but more for a quiet evening and not for a weekend of booze, music and wild times.

Or maybe as people age, their friends die. Or finally wonder why they were their friends to begin with.

As far as I know, none of my old friends have died, but we don't keep in touch like we used to: I don't even live in the same country as any of them.

I think when you get older, your one real friend is your mate, partner. If you don't have one, then you might be on your own. I think this study is very dependent on the definition of friend. What is the definition of friend? It means different things to different people.

 

[Esmeralda]

my grandfather 71 years old has 279 friends at Facebook

And of those he knows the last name, street address, and phone number of how many? That's the point. Online "friends" aren't friends.

I have an on-line friend I met on another board 3+ years ago. We keep in touch regularly and pretty much share all the meaningful things going on in our lives, and talk about one day meeting (she lives in another country, far away). We know each other's addresses and phone numbers, in order to send mail and also in case of emergencies, which both she and I have had. To let each other know all is okay. I do consider this a real friend, though we haven't met in person. First time though, only on-line friendship that has turned out that way.

 

[Gracie]

my grandfather 71 years old has 279 friends at Facebook

And of those he knows the last name, street address, and phone number of how many? That's the point. Online "friends" aren't friends.

I have an on-line friend I met on another board 3+ years ago. We keep in touch regularly and pretty much share all the meaningful things going on in our lives, and talk about one day meeting (she lives in another country, far away). We know each other's addresses and phone numbers, in order to send mail and also in case of emergences, which both she and I have had. To let each other know all is okay. I do consider this a real friend, though we haven't met in person. First time though, only on-line friendship that has turned out that way.

Ditto. I met a few online "friends". One posted that I was trailer trash when she got mad at me over some stupid shit (disagreement) on the message board. Another one posted I was ugly after she, too, got mad at me. One guy I met (now deceased) was so drunk, I couldn't make out much of what he said. Yes, I met quite a few. I will no longer ever meet another because I know what will happen once a disagreement takes place. Except one. I met her and her husband. Flew out to meet them, stayed in their guest cottage a few days, and keep in touch with her often. I have "known" her for about 15 or 16 years now. She has a copy of hubby and my living wills and death wills. She is named in those wills as executor of our "estate". She also agreed to take my furkids if anything happens to either of us at the same time. I trust her with my life and I would give mine for her. THAT is a friend. To me, anyway. We have had our disagreements, but she never took it to a board to air grievances. We worked it out like friends do.

I trust nobody online any more. I have too many holes in my back.

 

[Esmeralda]

And of those he knows the last name, street address, and phone number of how many? That's the point. Online "friends" aren't friends.

I have an on-line friend I met on another board 3+ years ago. We keep in touch regularly and pretty much share all the meaningful things going on in our lives, and talk about one day meeting (she lives in another country, far away). We know each other's addresses and phone numbers, in order to send mail and also in case of emergences, which both she and I have had. To let each other know all is okay. I do consider this a real friend, though we haven't met in person. First time though, only on-line friendship that has turned out that way.

Ditto. I met a few online "friends". One posted that I was trailer trash when she got mad at me over some stupid shit (disagreement) on the message board. Another one posted I was ugly after she, too, got mad at me. One guy I met (now deceased) was so drunk, I couldn't make out much of what he said. Yes, I met quite a few. I will no longer ever meet another because I know what will happen once a disagreement takes place. Except one. I met her and her husband. Flew out to meet them, stayed in their guest cottage a few days, and keep in touch with her often. I have "known" her for about 15 or 16 years now. She has a copy of hubby and my living wills and death wills. She is named in those wills as executor of our "estate". She also agreed to take my furkids if anything happens to either of us at the same time. I trust her with my life and I would give mine for her. THAT is a friend. To me, anyway. We have had our disagreements, but she never took it to a board to air grievances. We worked it out like friends do.

I trust nobody online any more. I have too many holes in my back.

That's too bad about your on-line friends, except for the one that turned out to be real.

My friend, who I described above, doesn't play games. We aren't even on the same message boards nowadays. She has her preferences, I have mine. But we talk through private e-mail regularly. Our friendship is outside of any on-line forums and has been for at least 2 years. I trust her completely, value her judgement, value her as a human being, and value our friendship. I know if I needed a place to crash because my life fell apart, I could go to her, and she knows for her it would be the same on my part. We have even talked about such things. We've never had a disagreement but recognized and accepted differences of opinion, which aren't many. Yep, I am in disbelief in a way, but I do think this is a real friendship.

 

[jon_berzerk]

a good friend will help you bury the body

a great friend will bring their own shovel

 

[Gracie]

I have an on-line friend I met on another board 3+ years ago. We keep in touch regularly and pretty much share all the meaningful things going on in our lives, and talk about one day meeting (she lives in another country, far away). We know each other's addresses and phone numbers, in order to send mail and also in case of emergences, which both she and I have had. To let each other know all is okay. I do consider this a real friend, though we haven't met in person. First time though, only on-line friendship that has turned out that way.

Ditto. I met a few online "friends". One posted that I was trailer trash when she got mad at me over some stupid shit (disagreement) on the message board. Another one posted I was ugly after she, too, got mad at me. One guy I met (now deceased) was so drunk, I couldn't make out much of what he said. Yes, I met quite a few. I will no longer ever meet another because I know what will happen once a disagreement takes place. Except one. I met her and her husband. Flew out to meet them, stayed in their guest cottage a few days, and keep in touch with her often. I have "known" her for about 15 or 16 years now. She has a copy of hubby and my living wills and death wills. She is named in those wills as executor of our "estate". She also agreed to take my furkids if anything happens to either of us at the same time. I trust her with my life and I would give mine for her. THAT is a friend. To me, anyway. We have had our disagreements, but she never took it to a board to air grievances. We worked it out like friends do.

I trust nobody online any more. I have too many holes in my back.

That's too bad about your on-line friends, except for the one that turned out to be real.

My friend, who I described above, doesn't play games. We aren't even on the same message boards nowadays. She has her preferences, I have mine. But we talk through private e-mail regularly. Our friendship is outside of any on-line forums and has been for at least 2 years. I trust her completely, value her judgement, value her as a human being, and value our friendship. I know if I needed a place to crash because my life fell apart, I could go to her, and she knows for her it would be the same on my part. We have even talked about such things. We've never had a disagreement but recognized and accepted differences of opinion, which aren't many. Yep, I am in disbelief in a way, but I do think this is a real friendship.

I am glad you trust her. But....sorry....I, too, had one I trusted explicitly. It was all a lie. Every bit of it. That was the last proverbail hole in my back. Oh, I still get a stab now and then, but it doesn't hurt as much as that last one.