I just looked at my Facebook account and saw that I have 621 friends. How many of them are "real friends". I made friends with many of them since there is a shared interest such as:
- Baseball
- Oldies Music
- Bob Dylan
- Librarianship
- Chemistry
- Radio
- Former Classmates
- Former Co-workers
How many of them have I actually met? I think the number is very small. Many of them I have not seen in years if not decades. There is also the "phone friend." You speak to them over the Phone with some degree of regularity but rarely see them. Some of these "phone friends" live at a distance so it is impossible to meet.
I think the COVID situation has prevented people from meeting face to face. I think that sadly COVID has created a new normal when it is less likely for people to want to meet.
I guess the bottom line is that an Electronic friend is better than no friend at all.
