Everything you’ve said is true, but also you literally cannot replicate in-person interaction. Perhaps one day we will be able to trick our lizard brains with virtual interactions, but we can’t do it at present. There is no replacement for touching, feeling, smelling, and seeing. You can have meaningful relationships online but you are absolutely missing out if you’re only interactions are digital.
But literally no one in this thread is saying otherwise. We’re just saying online friends are real and shouldn’t be demeaned with scare quotes, and also you’re probably missing out if your only interactions are local.
