Social Networking Impacts Your Real-Life Friendships

Friendship doesn't come easy any more than they're easy to maintain. In every relationship there has to be a balance and friendships are no different. With the age of technology and it's direct impact on the way we socialize with one another it makes it easier to communicate but causes a lot of issues in many relationships and sometimes ends them.

People don't realize that electronic and real-life friendships are different kinds of relationships, they are molded differently and have to be maintained differently.

The majority of the time  I have experienced that it's easy for me and others to keep my electronic relationships satisfied via online interactions because the internet is simply enough. In some cases we have never met and they are fine with never seeing me or talking to me on the phone.

The problem with internet friendships happens when you take a friend you know from the physical world and add them to your online social networking experience. Now that this person is a part of your social networking experience you may feel you don't need to see or call that person as much, however this person feels like it's an added platform for communication and because of these different views it may cause problems especially if it causes your friend to feel and express frustration with you. When they communicate their feelings about the change in communication and contact, depending on what you say and how you react the friendship can take a turn for the worse or it can be improved.

When dealing with our real-life friends we have to remember that they are people who have different needs and some need more time and contact with you in order for that relationship to be nurtured; not to mention that some people are afraid of or strongly dislike change. It's not wise to make a change like this and not prepare yourself for the many possibilities of challenges these changes will introduce into the friendship once you attempt to change the status-qua.