| Friendships initiated and mediated through the Internet, known as 'online friendships,' are increasing in popularity as technology becomes normalized within society. In 2010, 77% of U.S. adults were found to use the Internet, and out of this sample, 20% claimed to have friends whom they met via the Internet and whom they only communicated with via the Internet (Wang & Wellman, 2010). To better understand this emerging phenomenon and how it compares to what is already understood about friendships, the current study explored the exclusively online and offline friendships of young adults, using a phenomenological approach. Twelve young adults were asked about both online and offline friendship factors in semi-structured interviews. Factors examined include the developmental trajectory of the friendships, specific friendship experiences contributing to psychological well-being, how the friendship matches with what one believes to be the ideal friendship, and how important both an offline and exclusively online friendships are to the individual. From the provided narratives, five themes emerged: (a) friendships start coincidentally but build off proximity and similarity; (b) friendships do not mix offline and online; (c) friendship maintenance is necessary but differs by frequency and intensity; (d) friendships can persevere both offline and online, and (e) both types of friendship provide intimacy, but people have preferences. The results demonstrate how previous research on friendship is applicable to the present concept of online friendships and how psychologists can better understand this emerging phenomenon in order to work with the current population of young adults. |
