We live in a day and age where building and maintaining friendships is more of a challenge than ever before. Our mobile society tends to break down our friendships rather than bring growth and longevity.
Decades ago, society was much more stable and people stayed in the same neighborhood or city where they were raised. We grew up with the same people we later married, worked with, and were a part of our social network.
For a season, as jobs became scarce in an area and opportunities opened elsewhere, leaving our homes and friends quite often ended relationships we had formed over the years. We tried to keep relationships going with letters and phone calls, but all too often we ended up drifting away.
Now, with an increasing number of people using computers, and the growth of online social networks such as Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook, we have an unprecedented opportunity to connect with and maintain friendships that we would otherwise have lost in previous times.
We can converse, share pictures and videos, play games, bring others into our social network, plan get-togethers and reunions, all with the touch of a few buttons. A whole new world, literally, has opened up to millions.
Relationships are healthy for us, mentally and emotionally. They stimulate our minds, bring pleasure to our lives, cause us to bond together in the power of friendship. Although friendships can sometimes bring pain and hurt feelings, more often friendships provide comfort, happiness, laughter, support, and the freedom to be who we are.
With online social networks, we can spend as much time as we want or need with our friends and acquaintences. Some of us need more time with our friends, spending hours in chat rooms or forums, while others may only spend a few minutes a day or week.
The choice we have as to how much time we spend with others is part of the power of the internet. Some of us loners can get our friendship fix by bopping in and out of various sites long enough to make the connections we need. Those who are social butterflies can spend what time they desire.
Of course, there are those who spend more time than they should to the detriment of their job or family relationships. People need to use wisdom as far as how much time they do spend online and with whom they spend their time.
However, ultimately, the new frontier of the online social networks provides a closeness that was lost for many people in years past as society became more mobile.
It’s fun to reconnect with old friends, make new friends, and build social relationships. The social networks keep friends close and families closer.
If you haven’t yet tried one of the social networks, consider joining MySpace or Facebook, or any of the other sites, and begin building new friendships or renew old acquaintances. You may connect with a long-lost friend from school or a previous job you left years ago.
The bottom line is that we enjoy ourselves with friends new and old! After all, it adds to our quest for a healthy lifestyle.
