Should I call you online bestie or a known stranger?

I think we all should normalize instantly starting friendship with someone whom we’ve just met only through online or social media.
Whether we like it or not, the perspective of the world became small; small enough to fit in our phone especially in this ongoing covid pandemic. All schools, colleges, office works, companies, and even government businesses are running online. We still haven’t met our family, friends, or even strangers in person.

Everyone is having hardships whether it’s grief, depression, loneliness, poverty, failure, unemployment, or breakups. The grown-ups or elders have experience and can at least handle them but the youngsters who join school or college for the first time and the small kids who are about to get admission in ‘online nursery schools’ are finding it harder to handle. They feel so disconnected from literally everyone and everything.

I have a brother in my home. He is only 5 years old. All I can see is him playing and goofing around during online classes. He has no friends. How can we expect kids to pay attention or interact with others through a mere screen who doesn’t even know what it is? If you look at the Google Meet video screen, no kid listens to the teachers except their parents taking down notes and homework to be done. I kinda feel pity for the teachers even though it’s hilarious to watch them. One time I saw him yelling at a teacher who called his name for attendance after each period. He was like “whaaatt? Why are you calling me always?”.
They neither have respect towards teachers nor interest in studying. Well, no one can blame them. They don’t know what it’s like to go to school, sit in a class with other kids, how scary and friendly some teachers are or how it feels like to go out. After being stuck in a home for all his life, all he knows is food, play games, and those damn four walls.

I also knew another kid who is 11 years, doesn’t have much interaction with anyone due to transferring new school and having it all in online. I heard her complaining that her parents don’t allow her to play games, create chat groups with the other classmates or even help her in doing homework. I get it, parents are busy and are afraid to give full access to the internet or mobile to their kids but they fail to understand their mentality in this current situation.

Coming to my story, college life sucks!!
If I can’t interact with anyone in person, then I have to at least start socializing with good people online. I know I can’t live alone like this in my room for the rest of my life.
I don’t use social medias much but recently I opened insta, stood active on whatsapp and other platforms just to be in contact with my classmates. We discuss studies, homework and help each other to clear doubts. Just like that, we became friends. Friends in the sense like – “I know you but I don’t”. It’s like “I know you’ll send laughing emoji right now but I don’t know how you laugh or whether you get dimple when you smile.” Our friendship is also like “I know you enough to be friends but not enough to accept you more than a stranger”.

There is this one constant fear which continues to haunt me. Sometimes I get sad thinking about whether they’ll stay the same if I meet them in person.

I also feel like our friendship lives only through the phone, no emotions or feelings attached without it.
Well, you can advise me to FaceTime or call him or her to get close but I like to take things slow. The same happens with my blogging friends too. My parents had always taught me one thing straight: Don’t Talk To Strangers!!! Thus it’s kinda difficult for me to break that rule which I’d followed for years. I know they are my classmates but still, trust is not earned that easily and me being shy and too cautious, it’ll take more time. It’s sad knowing that’s my new normal.

The same goes with my blogging buddies too. Now I have friends from over different continents. I won’t have started blogging or met you all if there was no lockdown.

It’s strange to have a friend whom you’ve never hugged, shook hands, or looked into their eyes but you have been touched by their soul, words and felt the warmth of their being.

My dear friend,

Who are you to me exactly? Online bestie or a known stranger?

I don’t know if we’ll ever meet. Maybe yes, most probably no. Even if we don’t, it’s like you are the only person who has known me forever and I can always count on you.

❤️

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