I’m a huge believer in soulmates. I’m not just talking in romantic terms, but I believe they can be entirely platonic too. I also believe that you can have multiple soulmates, but until last summer I never understood how it felt to have such a strong connection with someone that you would do anything for them.
I cherish human connection over and above anything, but before I found my internet friends, I didn’t really have anyone to give that part of me to.
On July 4th of 2016, I was added into a groupchat on Twitter, full of like-minded people. It took a mere few days for the love I had for this little family we had created to consume me, and the feeling was mutual. Fast forward nine months later, and they are still my go-to people.
Despite the distance, we make it work. We Skype when timezones allow, watch movies together, share playlists and photos and stories and we create memories. We do everything that any normal friendship involves, but on screen.
We don’t get to physically comfort each other when we need it most and some of us will never know how it feels to hug one another, but words and emotion are somehow enough.
My internet friends came into my life at a time when I desperately needed them. I was letting go of toxic friendships, beginning a new chapter, and I needed the ability to re-discover myself. They allowed me to do that.
I live in a relatively small town, where everybody has mutual friends. There’s never anybody new here who knows nothing about you, and the gift of meeting a group of people who knew absolutely nothing about me other than what I told them meant that I could be the truest version of myself and there was nobody to judge me on past mistakes.
I am not a spontaneous person, and I do not take risks yet here I am, preparing for a life-changing trip. In two months time, I’m taking two of my closest friends from home to explore one of the best cities in the world, but that’s not all.
We’re meeting two (fingers-crossed) of these soulmates/strangers/best friends in New York. No big deal, right? Well maybe if I lived in the US, but I don’t. I live in the South West of England, 3351 miles away. Does my family know? No. Do my friends know? Yes, and they’re super supportive.
I constantly sit here daydreaming about finally having that cliche moment from the movies, you know, the slow-motion run through the airport? I think about all of the photos that I’ll have on my wall for years to come and of the memories we’re going to create together, side-by-side, but it’s bittersweet.
I want these girls with me on my wedding day, I want them to be there when I raise my children and I want to share the biggest moments in my life with them and knowing that we’ll spend the rest of our lives communicating the way we have been so far breaks my heart.
What makes it slightly easier is knowing that we’re not alone in this. The internet is a breeding ground for beautiful friendships and it gives everyone the ability to feel like they are accepted and loved.
There are always going to be plane tickets, and while you may have to wait years in-between visits, if the connection is strong enough then it’s worth it.
Do I think I’m going to be kidnapped in New York? Absolutely not. I’ve done my research, and I know the people behind the screen often better than I know myself. When you’re on the unflattering snapchat level of friendship, you know you can trust them.
There will always be people who don’t understand the concept of internet friendships. There will always be someone telling you it’s ridiculous, that you can’t possibly be close with someone you’ve never physically met, that you can’t trust the person on the other side of the screen. I’m not saying everyone has good intentions or that everyone is who they claim to be, because if that were the case then MTV’s Catfish wouldn’t exist.
What I am saying is that our generation is smart. We are the social media generation, and if social media can bring a friendship into your life that helps you grow and teaches you to value emotional connections, why is it such a bad thing?
To those of you who either can’t grasp it or want to show someone what an internet friendship is like, here is the documentary I created for an assignment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DftstGed21I&t=7s
