The Value Of Online Communities And Relationships

The Internet has introduced a lot novelties in the way that people form relationships that did not exist before. From dating to friendships a lot has changed. One such completely new thing is the widespread existence of anonymous online communities and friendships. Pen friends that have been a thing for as long as mail has been delivered reliably and inexpensively but on the internet it is possible to use identities completely untraceable to one's walking world identity. Many such networks of friendships have been formed on Steem. Usually, though, long-lasting interactions result in local meetups as we as humans have a natural tendency to prefer face-to-face meetings if at all logistically feasible.

But sometimes people prefer staying anonymous or pseudonymous. There are a lot of online forums or support groups where the regular members are pseudonymous and prefer to keep it that way. And there's nothing wrong with that. There's one huge advantage to discussing one's personal problems with people online instead of people you know in the walking world, which is that unless you're careless about posting information that may lead to your being doxxed, there is no way your offline friends can turn against you and harm you in the walking world using whatever sensitive information you have given them. Yes, family and close friends can be invaluable as a support network but for some people they can be the problem. And often, strangers will be able to give unbiased feedback unlike those too close.

The evils of too much of our social lives being online is a popular talking point these days. But I don't think it's primarily a negative issue. In the same way as you have to become socialized to be successful in relationships in real life you also have to learn to behave yourself online if you wish to succeed in your relationships online. Your Steem experience will most likely reflect that as well. If you act like a jerk, you will make enemies whereas good behavior will win you friends and influence.