https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/08/how-childhood-friendships-sway-economic-mobility/
When we access social media, it's only natural we like to share aspects of our lives with our friends and family. I mean why wouldn't we? It's human nature to interact with one another and share. But perhaps there are times when we occasionally take things overboard. And for whom exactly? People we consider friends we've made on the net? And what is it that makes someone our friend?Every social network site is unique in its own way. Sites like Twitter and Reddit appeal to reaching multiple audiences at once, while sites like Facebook allow for one to control who sees what post. Then you have more direct means of social networking, such as Discord or WhatsApp. But either way, they have their drawbacks and imperfections. None of those sites can 100% gurentee that the person behind the screen is the person who runs the social media account, which can sometimes be rather scary especially with younger users of the net. Anyone can make an account claiming to be whomever they say they are.
This brings me to answering my question above. What makes someone a friend? I personally do not believe you can become close friends with someone unless you have some sort of personal interaction or history with said individual. Now that doesn't necessarily mean you can't become buddies with someone on the net. Rather, one should simply remember to put up boundaries until you 100% know who it is you are speaking to. My younger brother for example utilizes Discord to talk to a lot of people and play D&D, organize watch parties, etc. Thankfully, those people are without a doubt kids from his high school and he is old and wise enough to not overshare anything about himself.
Another thing I'd like to point out is you can have hundreds of "friends" or "followers" on all sorts of social media. But it is much more preferable to have an actual close friend or two that you can be an open book to. Having that sort of relationship where you can be vulnerable and 100% yourself is best when you're with someone who you have an interpersonal relationship with, whether it's a family member, a best friend or two, or even a romantic partner.
The problem today is some people often blur the lines when they're on social media sites all the time, confusing community with close confidants. Many see their hundreds of followers as their best friends and overshare with complete strangers, which carries the potential to be quite dangerous. I think a metaphorical line needs to be drawn that separates followers, fans, and acquaintances from actual close relationships, and it wouldn't hurt these sites from finding some way to address this and include ways to still use their services but keep it between individuals in particular social settings.
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