The Distinction Between Virtual Friends and Actual Friends
The scientist has had different opinions for many years, highlighting the distinction between virtual friends as well as actual friends. Based on common analysis and understanding of friendship and friendship, the two terms vary distinctly from the definitions involved (Cattan et al. 2011).
The Importance of Friendship
The researcher shows that friendship, or rather friendship, is virtual and has a right to virtue. Friendship is important to the well-being of life because, despite the availability of other goods, no one can coexist alone in the world with the help of friends. The wealthy people feels more secure with friends who can help them secure and protect their wealth. Moreover, at the state of poverty and grief friends performs the position as the only refuge for the individual or family (Cattan et al. 2011). It is through these processes that friending becomes necessary and or importance, hence an illustration by scientist that friending is virtual.
The Concept of Befriending
On the other hand, the same scientists consider befriending as real. In this case, the friendship is not entitled to any aspect of wealth or misfortune; rather it highly depends on a cultural attraction between two individuals or families. Therefore, it is evident that friending has strings attached as opposed to the befriending which only depends on the cultural attraction that is in place (Cattan et al. 2011). Despite that fact that the scientist is right in offering the differences that exist between befriending and friending, it is not an important distinction to distinguish the two controversial terminologies. With an idea of scientific explanation, the distinction does not have a scientific illustration to explain occurs. It is important, therefore, to conduct various research that would help in scientifically defining the terms.
Online Friendships in the Present Generation
In the present generation, online friendships stand much stronger as compared to real friendship (Cattan et al. 2011). The idea is supported because the world today has multiple innovations geared towards bringing more technological setups in place. Therefore, most people are attached to the internet as compared to how they can meet virtually and make up their friendship. In the traditional society, people used to spend a good part of the evening with their friendship sharing a glass of beer on men's side. With such, it was evident that the friendship level was much stronger in comparison to what is experienced in the present society (Cattan et al. 2011). The youths today prefer friending through the social media platforms as compared to visiting and meeting friends physically. Therefore based on the Stanford piece, online friendship stands up as the primary association platform preferred presently.
Ethical Considerations of Online Friendship
However, the old generation is still finding it hard to adapt to this level. Based on ethical perspectives, online friendship standpoint, it is both ethical and unethical. Ethically, it is a means of embracing technology to ensure technological investments in the country (Cattan et al. 2011). Moreover, it is a form of development as it takes the much little time to develop a friendship through online setups. Nevertheless, it is also unethical since online friendships are never strong and do not last for long. Furthermore, it does not comprehend with ethical mandates of a real friendship. In so doing, online friendships are virtual friendships in most cases.
References
Cattan, M., Kime, N., & Bagnall, A. M. (2011). The use of telephone befriending in low-level support for socially isolated older people–an evaluation. Health & social care in the community, 19(2), 198-206.
