They have never met, but they text their troubles and opinions to each other every day. Have online friends taken the space of IRL pals?
Smit Master, Hvovi Bhagwagar and Bhakti Papnoi
When this writer shared a story on Instagram, asking her followers if during the pandemic, they had made friends online whom they had never met, but chatted with everyday to share their worries, there was a flurry of replies. While some responded with a definitive no, others had tales of blooming friendships through different geographies and time zones to share.
ADVERTISEMENT
Smit Master, 22, from Mumbai met his now close friend Meher, 22, from Uttar Pradesh via a study group on Telegram. “I joined the study group as I wanted some reading material. As I put up a text, she was the one who responded and that is how we began talking,” says Master. The two, who are aspiring MBA students, have been friends for eight months now and chat regularly. “Initially, we spoke with each other about books, but as our interaction grew, we started opening up to each other about our varied interests. She told me about her Instagram page where she shares her art, and I told her I like to blog about food,” he says. Soon, they were talking about the stress and worries caused due to the uncertainty around their future because of the ongoing pandemic. “The exam prep was quite stressful for both of us and having each other’s company through this time really helped us ease the
burden,” he says.
For Master, it was easier talking to an online friend, as he feels there is far less judgement involved. One also gets to interact with individuals from different cultures and states with similar interests, which is otherwise difficult. “We have not met in person yet, I don’t know if it would even be possible for us. We usually get on a video call if we really do feel like it,” he says.
“During the pandemic, as online platforms were the only means of communication, extroverts were forced to isolate themselves. For them, making friends online acted as a solution to their gritty situation,” explains psychologist Hvovi Bhagwagar. “We can see that such friendships are intact even though everything around us is opening up. That is because they are more convenient, and you have the option of protecting your anonymity.” Bhagwagar’s points are reflected in statistics as well. Facebook and Instagram were among the most downloaded apps in 2020, according to the Business of Apps. Facebook had 2.85 billion monthly active users as of the first quarter of 2021, compared to 2.6 billion during the first quarter of 2020, while Instagram went from 1 billion monthly active users in the first quarter of 2020 to 1.07 billion monthly active users as of the first quarter of 2021. Twitter grew from 186 million users to 199 million users since the pandemic started, according to Twitter’s first quarter earnings report.
A cross-country friendship began during the pandemic when Kritika, 25, from Germany, commented on Mumbaikar Bhakti Papnoi’s Instagram story The pair, who had studied in the same school, had never crossed paths during their time there. “We quickly realised how much we had in common from sports to everything else. As the lockdown restrictions became gruesome, especially in Germany, we found solace in each other’s company online,’’ says Papnoi. “In my experience, making a friend online felt easier as it is a space where you can be yourself without any hesitation,” she adds.
Living in different time zones has not hindered their friendship which began in August 2020 and is still thriving on Instagram. Their conversation involves updating each other about college life, and talking about climate change, and lockdowns.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
