I without a doubt agree that online friends can be just as “real” as those who are physically near you. I’ve shared some and listened to pretty personal shit with online friends. And maybe that’s why my online friendships can often be “realer” than my IRL ones. Like many, I find it easier to be vulnerable when I’m behind a screen. I think that relatively greater openness as well as the number of niche communities on the Internet help open more opportunities to kindle such genuine friendships.
when I’m chatting with someone online who lives far away and they know I have no favors to offer them physically or financially (…) then I feel more secure in that they want to get to know me purely for who I am or at least spend time together via a hobby that can be practiced virtually.
https://toska.bearblog.dev/re-online-friends-are-real-friends/