Comparison Between Online and Physical Relationships - Research Paper Example

Social Media such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace have made globalization a reality. The anticipated global village is now becoming a reality as more people sign up or create accounts with social networking sites. Social networks have made communication across the globe become a reality. It is now possible for a person living in the United States to create and maintain a friendship with a Peron living in China or Japan. This indicates that online friendship is not restricted by geographical factors.

In addition, online friendship is not subject to economic and political factors that influence face-to-face communication (Suler web). Through online friendship, it is possible to have friends who have a different economic or political background. For instance, people living in the socialist republic of South Korea can establish online relationships with their counterparts in North Korea despite the two countries having different ideologies and social restrictions. This indicates the ability of virtual friendship to conquer limitations that affect real relationships.

Face to face, relationships are considered superior to virtual relationships due to the existence of physical contacts. It is evident that people in the real world have the ability to meet and share personal experiences. On the other hand, online friends can only have a conversation and share their pictures. Although it is possible to hold a video conference where people can present their faces to each other, real friendships cannot be compared to virtual friendships.