The Internet: Friend or Foe for Making Friends?
Hi there! My name is Lily and I'm a 5th grader at Oakwood Elementary School. Today I want to talk to you about something that plays a huge role in all of our lives - the internet! I'm sure you use it too for school projects, playing games, watching videos, and lots more. But have you ever stopped to think about how the internet affects our ability to make and keep friends? Let me share my thoughts!
When I was younger, before everyone had smartphones and tablets, it was a lot easier to interact with the kids around me. At the park or playground, we would actually talk to each other, make up games, and run around together without a screen in sight. These days, I notice more and more kids have their faces buried in their phones, barely looking up. It makes me sad because I remember how much fun I had just being goofy and present with my friends back then.
On the other hand, the internet has opened up this huge world of connecting with people far beyond the kids on my street or at school. Thanks to messages, video chat, online games and forums, I can potentially make friends with kids not just in
other cities or states, but other countries too! I've met some really cool gamers from places like Australia and Brazil through the multiplayer games I play online. We've formed our own little friend groups and gaming squads. It's awesome getting to know people from totally different cultures and backgrounds than me. However, it's not quite the same as having a best friend you can actually hangout with in person. Don't get me wrong, my online friends are still real friends to me. But there's something special about friends you can look in the eye, give a high five, or share snacks with. Those in-person connections are harder to forge these days it seems.
Maybe I'm just being an nostalgic old lady at 10 years old, but I do worry that the internet drives us apart as much as it brings us together sometimes. Sure, we're all connected online 24/7 now. But are we accidentally disconnecting from the friends and family sitting right next to us? I've definitely experienced times when my parents have had to tell me to put my phone away at the dinner table because I'm not being present.
I think it's all about balance. The internet is an incredible tool that absolutely can help us make new friends and stay connected in amazing ways. But we have to be really mindful not to let it take over and damage our face-to-face relationships too. It's like
that catchy song from a few years ago - we gotta look up from our phones and actually see the people right in front of us! I'm making an effort to put my phone away more when I'm with my besties at school. We can share funny memes together later, but I want to soak up every moment of actually being kid while I still can, without tech distractions. And when I'm home, no phones at the dinner table - that's my new rule! Quality family time without any screens.
My parents have expressed similar goals to me about being more present and not letting the digital world consume us completely. My dad says he remembers a time before the internet and home computers, when people truly had to make plans to get together in order to see their friends and socialize. No last minute group chats or coordination over text. You actually had to pick up a land line phone and call someone's home! Crazy, right?
While I personally can't imagine that level of disconnect and having to put in so much effort, I understand where he's coming from. The internet has given us
some amazing opportunities for connection and community. But it's also made us a bit too lazy and reliant on that virtual world at times.
At the end of the day, despite how amazing the internet and technology is, we're still human beings who crave and need face-to-face interaction and quality time with other people. The internet can help us make and nurture friendships without any limits of distance or circumstance. However, we've got to be careful not to let it replace our in-person friendships and human bonds completely.
Spending a little less time scrolling through social media and a little more time actually being social in the moment and present with those around us - that's the balance I'm aiming for. The internet is a brilliant tool, but it can never fully replicate the strength and beauty of a real-life friendship between two people just being their authentic selves together.
Those are just my thoughts though! I'd love to hear what you guys think about this topic too. How has the internet impacted your friendships and relationships, whether online or offline? Let's keep the conversation going - in person and on the web!
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