How we experience the world is intensely shaped by who and what surround us on a daily basis. Today that can include more virtual, social media friends than physical ones.
Quoted from the National Geographic Article ‘Are We as Awful as We Act Online?‘
I think this is a very interesting quote. we spend more time with our “virtual friends’ than with our family. And are we as awful… I doubt it, but some people think they can say anything on the internet “they don’t know me anyway”… and what example do we have from a certain person nowadays, what comes out of his mouth is mind blowing and he gets away with it and people applaud him, people copy his bad behavior and that “bad” is an understatement.
have a great day, Cherry.
I love your selfie
Yes some people are pretty awful online. I often wonder what they would be like if I bumped into them in the street. Some people like to hide behind anonymity and present the worst version of themselves.
I have met lots of wonderful people online
I am glad you like the selfie
Ditto to what Astrid has said. I do like how your image seems to be including us all into your circle of friends, virtual or not. I like that I can say you are both real and virtual to Astrid and me. Looking forward to seeing you soon again!
I am glad you like the effect of the selfie
I am looking forward to seeing you both again soon
That is very true. Best to surround yourself with positive people.
My thoughts exactly, we thrive and are uplifted if we are surrounded by positive people.
I spotted this lovely photo of you on Facebook yesterday – a very happy picture. Hope to see you in the flesh later this year
I am looking forward to seeing you later this year
I am glad you like the photo. I was struggling to keep my camera straight and make sure the tree trunk behind me was to one side of me.
well hello yo you mey dear Cherie… love that smile….peter:)
Thank you Peter
I hope I will see you too, later this year?
Hello, beautiful
Some people have beautiful souls that consistently shine through over time, even online, even through text-only communication – and your kind eyes and warm smile also tell us much about your character 
I’m caught between whether online behavior tells us more about someone’s real character, what they’re really thinking or whether they’re just wearing swine masks like it’s Halloween and really a decent person in real life, and I think it depends on the person – because I think both of those things occur online.
And everyone has bad days, I guess, we’re only getting a snapshot of someone’s life. I really don’t understand the need for alter egos and other personas, though, but then I’m the sort of person that just kind of is who I am, accepts there are facets to my personality, both positive and negative, and allows the same for other people (to a degree of severity).
And then of course there’s also our perception of what someone writes versus their intention, which may be erroneous, and something that context, or even tone, are the additional information that would be required for full meaning, which we don’t often have provided to us online.
Regardless, for some reason, this quote and subject brought to mind Christ’s words of: “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” (Matthew 7:6)
Sometimes it’s hard to tell who’s online or real-life swine, who isn’t, and who can be both, these days lol.
I told my daughter recently that sometimes even close friends can accidentally drop a pearl now and then without meaning to, because it’s not as if humans are perfect when compared to swine.
But there’s a difference between a friend accidentally dropping a precious pearl infrequently VS. swine repeatedly trampling on it or throwing it back in your face, all covered in mud so that it’s unrecognizable – and the way we learn the difference is by giving one small precious pearl at a time and see what they do with it, over time.
I can honestly say that you have never once thrown a precious pearl back in my face or trampled on it
Genuineness, integrity, kindness, fairness, and having the best of intentions are my top priorities in friendships, these days, and you have those qualities in spades, my friend, as the Bridge phrase goes. Huggings
Thank you for your kind words
I treat everyone I meet online in the same way I would if I met them face to face.
Some people like to take on a different persona online, there are different reasons for that… But with me, what you see is what you get!
Every single person in this comments thread I met online rather than face to face. Most of us have subsequently met up and enjoyed time together
As you can see we are looking forward to meeting again soon
*hugs*
So are we social media friends now?
Well we could meet face to face if you attended the meet up alluded to in the comments above
Friends are friends no matter in what medium I meet them