"Hi, I am super, super lost and I'm supposed to be at this graduation party, but I don't know where I'm going and my phone doesn't have a GPS. Can you pleeaaaase google directions for me?"

This was the first time I had ever talked on the phone with my best friend, a new step in our friendship. This might not seem that monumental to some people, but since I've never met Nikki in person, it kind of was. I met Nikki through her blog when I was in high school, and we instantly bonded over our loves of writing and One Direction. It started with hundreds of messages back and forth, first about our favorite boy band, then moving on to our own lives. Now, close to four years later, we text almost constantly, ALWAYS send a Snapchat when there is a cute dog around and help each other through everyday crises (OK, so maybe it's usually me with the crisis and her with the advice).

In the modern day, people often talk about how technology has made us disconnected, distant or unfocused. "Technology Ruining Our Lives" exclaims a headline, while another lists the 10 reasons that technology has decreased our social abilities. I can't help but disagree. Whether people like it or not, technology and the innovative communication it brings us are here to stay, and people are taking advantage of it. The Norton Online Living Report (NOLR) asserts that one-half of online adults have made friends via the Internet, and a BBC article suggests 1 in 3 teens have met up with an online friend. For someone who spends a significant amount of time online, making friends in the process is a natural progression of interacting with others.

There are so many benefits to meeting your friends online. For introverts, it allows a way of communication that is easier to control; if you're tiring of interaction, just put away your phone and pick up the conversation later. As for extroverts, the ease of word vomiting to someone who always has an open inbox is invaluable. Double texts? No problem, because you've probably just received seven texts, a Snapchat or two, a picture of a really great meme and a link to a video of a puppy just learning how to howl. Online friends can provide amazing support and love, even if it's just through technology. I have gotten some of the best advice I've ever heard through text, felt incredibly grateful when someone remembered an important detail of my life and really laughed out loud at outrageous conversations.

I can personally attest to the power of an online friendship because mine has been a big part of my life for such a long time. Nikki and I have watched each other grow up in a way. She knew me when I was posting my poetry online and getting terrible feedback, up to now, when I'm a published poet and student editor for my college's literary magazine. And I've seen her go from teenage boy band fan to an intern at One Direction's music label, getting to sit in on meetings about the band's marketing strategy and know confidential information about their plans.

I think the best thing about Internet friendship is that it is patient. It is easy to pick back up and catch up with someone again, even if it's been a while since you talked. Sometimes it can be difficult or awkward to reconnect with people from the real world, but something about the Internet world makes it easier to just send a simple message and start the conversation again. Making friends online is like the modern equivalent of a pen pal; it's almost exactly the same thing, but instead of snail mail, it's powered by WiFi and iMessages. With so many different social websites, it's easy to find people with things in common. Give it a try. You might just make a lifelong friend, or at least one who can give you directions.