As a long time avid Internet explorer, I have encountered different kinds of people from all over the world wide web. Nowadays, you do not need to see a person in real life to be friends with them. I have learned a thing or two about having Internet friends from all over the world. Real life can be restricting when it comes to meeting people, but on the Internet, you can be as confident as you can never seem to be in real life.

It is eye-opening to befriend people from all over the globe, but I am not simply talking about diversity here. I am not talking the superficial characteristic of skin color. I am talking about befriending people who live halfway across the world from yourself, in a different environment other than the one of the United States. I am talking about people who are awake when you are asleep; their night is your day. I am talking about people who taught themselves English on the Internet because they did not need English in their everyday life, people who are accustomed to different culture and traditions than our own.

I have utilized the internet in its only pure form; making Internet friends. Making friends online is a little like blind dating. You’ll never know who you’ll get behind the screen. You’ll never know how long they’ll stick around, how long you will stay in touch, of if they’ll turn out to exhibit creepy, stalker-ish behaviors. Maybe you’ll go from chatting every day to just once a month, or even simply just being friends on Facebook.

Through making friends online, I have learned to cherish every connection I have made, no matter how brief. Internet friends seem to offer the best objective advice about life decisions and also offer comfort like no person in real life seem to be able to give. Making friends online also have greatly improved my social skills and communication skills outside of the Internet, and with that, I have become one with the memes.

Most of all, having friends from all over the world helped me realize we are all the same. It is important to recognize the differences between the people in the world, but regardless of where we are located geographically, we all have the same problems. We all struggle through school, share similar concerns, and are all bored on the Internet.

With the societally conceived borders of this world, Americans are bred to think everyone else from anywhere else is alien. But if you would take the time to befriend someone that is not from the United States, you will come to the conclusion that no one is special. We are all living the same life through different means.

And also, time zones can suck my butt.