Sometimes I imagine our parents’ youth days and their social lives and can’t help but admire how true and close they were. I usually look at my dad and his friends connecting over a cup of coffee at our place after so many years of being apart and I can’t help but envy them. Unlike them, our generation is made of a big circle of friends most of whom we have not met face to face and others who are probably overseas and have no hope of ever meeting ever. Those are the social media friends acquired through different social platforms such as Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn among others.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against these social media friends, in fact I appreciate them a little because they keep me busy chatting late night when am suffering from insomnia. I keep them updated on every detail about my life from when am really happy and feeling all thankful to God to when am having “blue balls”. This is a good thing so I tell myself but worry hits me I need my friend to be there for me physically. It is possible to have thousands of friends on Facebook and similar number of followers on twitter but have none that you can run to if in need.

The bitter truth about social media friends is that they offer you a sense of intimacy and closeness which is actually not there. It is not once or twice where I have heard that someone has committed suicide after going through a hard situation but didn’t have anyone to talk to and hopefully talk to them out of it. Surprisingly enough, you might have been asked if you know that person and said yes with all confidence only to realize it was a lie after such a thing happens to them.

No matter how much time we spend creating large networks of friends, it is all in vain if we can’t have cherished friendships. The kind that you are sure you can only count on to be there for you both emotionally and physically when called upon. I am not saying that you need to cut strings with all your social media friends, but you should not forget to connect with the physically available friends. Treasure moments spent together, trust them with your secrets as much as you share with the social media fraternity and give them as much time as you do the social media friends.

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