Do you use the internet to socialize?

[Judge]

IRL virtually of my social contacts are superficial at best. Not really complaining about it though. Much better social dynamics here in comparison.

 

[Aspergirl4hire]

Of course! That's why all those cat videos were posted, right?

 

[Progster]

I don't use social media such as Facebook to socialise, though there is a private group I sometimes post in.

On forums such as this one I rarely socialise, I usually just post in reply to a thread, but sometimes someone talks to me via PM. I'm happy for people to PM me and appreciate it when people take an interest in me, though this doesn't happen very often. I'm too shy to start conversations with people, and don't do so unless I have a specific reason to do so.

Occasionally, I talk to someone who PMs me on Skype or via email. I've made a couple of friends this way, though usually they last a month or so and then fade. I tried a chat group, but most of them are a lot younger than me, have certain interests which they have in common but I don't share, so most of the conversations are around these interests, there's a lot of banter and it goes too fast at times, this is normal for chat groups, I think, so I often feel the odd one out and that I don't fit in.

 

[watersprite]

Yes. I think so much change in the last 6 months made me need a peaceful, careful, controlled environment. I like the idea of more - in my case - a - friend, but it's not likely to happen as I keep to myself irl.

 

[Omega]

I am not a computer person. Before I found this forum I had only sent 2 or 3 emails in my life. I have never been on any kind of social media or chat room. I guess what I'm saying is, being on this forum with all my AS brothers and sisters is my form of being social and I'm really enjoying it!

 

[Shawn D]

My social life IRL is limited to when my husband plans get-togethers with his family or friends.
Facebook and Instagram (I don't use Twitter. I don't get it.) are my outlets that give me more control over my social interactions. I have time to think about what I'm going to say, so I can better avoid saying something I shouldn't. Same with text messages. I prefer to text, because I can respond in my own time and often need to run what I want to say past my husband before I hit send.
My anxiety level instantly elevates if I'm in the middle of texting and the person calls me. I've learned to "hide" when I'm on Facebook, lest someone see me online and try to strike up a conversation via chat. I'm usually not in the mood.

 

[eonbus]

Facebook's a drag.I try to use Skype. Doesn't do me Justice.

 

[Astroganga]

I mainly use Twitter. The short, sharp 140 character limit suits my need to keep a distance to a T. I mainly do retweets but occasionally throw in my own two pence worth here and there. I must be doing something ok because I have 1.5k followers the majority of which are real people accounts. I have fb and IG as well but barely use them. I also have WhatsApp but don't use that much either. I hate speaking on the phone and it is so annoying when people don't respect that. I stopped shopping with one online supermarket because they kept calling me to discuss my refund requests or just to ask what I thought of the service.

 

[holbrook]

Started that in the BBS days when I was 12 I believe in the mid 90s. IRC replaced that when I was new to the Internet (during the dialup days).

Unfortunately, places like Facebook have slowly been bringing IRC to a death. I have made a few friends over Facebook although (e.g., saying hi to someone who replied to a friends "post".

I would in the past never really have difficulty finding a friend on IRC in the past, so I've been trying to make friends with people offline at the PHP I go to numerous times a week.

I've found most of my online relationships more longer lasting and in depth with conversations than the offline ones, not that the online ones don't have a shortage of uncertainties.