When MFP turns into IRL....

1PatientBear
1PatientBear Posts: 2,089 Member
in Chit-Chat
We all have MFP friends who we talk to daily and babble about fitness or exercise or calories or whether or not we would dump/bang/kiss/marry them. Because we do, many of these people become "real" friends. But does that make them IRL (in real life, for the acronymically impaired) friends?

Some of my MFP friends who I have never met face-to-face absolutely qualify as IRL friends. We're on Facebook. We text. We talk. Just because they aren't fortunate enough to live in the great state of Texas, that doesn't mean we can't be real friends. But I'm curious what others think.

What, for you, makes someone from MFP qualify as an IRL friend?
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Replies

  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I was just thinking about this today. I feel like my internet friends know me better than people in real life do. Like I feel over exposed when I met people from MFP in real life. This person sitting across the lunch table form me has seen me in my underwear at 30lbs overweight....
  • oregonzoo
    oregonzoo Posts: 4,251 Member
    1. they live close.
    2. they like cocktails
    3. they like wangs
    4. they will lie to me and say my food is good


    it also helps if they look good in formal wear.
  • _Calypso_
    _Calypso_ Posts: 1,074 Member
    I consider much of my FL to be IRL friends. If we lived closer I'm certain we'd hang out!!
  • MapleFlavouredMaiden
    MapleFlavouredMaiden Posts: 595 Member
    Absolutely consider online relationships/friendships as IRL. It's not quite as physical but it's still very very real.
  • Iceberg_Simpson
    Iceberg_Simpson Posts: 737 Member
    The way I see it, some of my MFP friends are real friends. Some of my best IRL friends live far from me, so I rarely get to see them. However, we still talk, text, message, etc. Some of my MFP friends, though I haven't met them in the flesh, have become like this to me. Just because we are geographically challenged doesn't make us any less important to each other.
  • Crimson_Fire
    Crimson_Fire Posts: 2,504 Member
    I agree. I consider several of my MFP friends IRL friends. We talk, we text and a couple of us even write/send little gifts to each other. I love everyone on my current FL and I'm thankful for them all. :heart:

    /sappiness.
  • IPAkiller
    IPAkiller Posts: 711 Member
    1. they live close.
    2. they like cocktails
    3. they like wangs
    4. they will lie to me and say my food is good


    it also helps if they look good in formal wear.
    I don't like wangs... I prefer va-jj!
    tumblr_lukav8OEEG1qf73ds.gif
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    When you make fun of my accent, we frenz.
  • IPAkiller
    IPAkiller Posts: 711 Member
    When I get to sink my teeth into that *kitten*!
    8873686_3862.jpg
  • _JPunky
    _JPunky Posts: 508 Member
    1. they live close.
    2. they like cocktails
    3. they like wangs
    4. they will lie to me and say my food is good


    it also helps if they look good in formal wear.

    But...but...I no like wangs unless I'm drunk...so are we only friends when we're drunk?

    And your food IS good! :tongue:
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    When I get to sink my teeth into that *kitten*!
    8873686_3862.jpg

    *gasp* HEY! That's my butt!!!



    I often believe my MFP friends are IRL friends that I simply haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet. I mean... in reality it's only a matter of time before I actually get to motorboat Michelle.
  • BamaBreezeNSaltAire
    BamaBreezeNSaltAire Posts: 966 Member
    I consider much of my FL to be IRL friends. If we lived closer I'm certain we'd hang out!!

    AMEN!
  • 1PatientBear
    1PatientBear Posts: 2,089 Member
    1. they live close.
    2. they like cocktails
    3. they like wangs
    4. they will lie to me and say my food is good


    it also helps if they look good in formal wear.

    But...but...I no like wangs unless I'm drunk...so are we only friends when we're drunk?

    And you're food IS good! :tongue:

    *your

    :grumble:
  • Iceberg_Simpson
    Iceberg_Simpson Posts: 737 Member
    When I get to sink my teeth into that *kitten*!
    8873686_3862.jpg

    *gasp* HEY! That's my butt!!!



    I often believe my MFP friends are IRL friends that I simply haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet. I mean... in reality it's only a matter of time before I actually get to motorboat Michelle.



    And it's only a matter of time before I get to sink my teeth into dat azz. (Take that, IPA!!!)
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    When I get to sink my teeth into that *kitten*!
    8873686_3862.jpg

    *gasp* HEY! That's my butt!!!



    I often believe my MFP friends are IRL friends that I simply haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet. I mean... in reality it's only a matter of time before I actually get to motorboat Michelle.



    And it's only a matter of time before I get to sink my teeth into dat azz. (Take that, IPA!!!)

    True story, love... I'm gonna let her bite it and bite it hard.
  • IPAkiller
    IPAkiller Posts: 711 Member
    I often believe my MFP friends are IRL friends that I simply haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet. I mean... in reality it's only a matter of time before I actually get to motorboat Michelle.
    And it's only a matter of time before I get to sink my teeth into dat azz. (Take that, IPA!!!)
    True story, love... I'm gonna let her bite it and bite it hard.
    Joseph-Gordon-Levitt-Clapping.gif
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    What matters is the connection you make to people. People online have the ability to make me feel loved, happy, excited, passionate, angry, depressed, sad, and compassionate. I learn from them and they from I. They are as real in my life as any physical presence.
  • tlcarolinagirl
    tlcarolinagirl Posts: 1,700 Member
    I consider much of my FL to be IRL friends. If we lived closer I'm certain we'd hang out!!

    AMEN!

    This..and I am thankful for those friendships. I don't add people on my FL that I wouldn't be friends with IRL. I talk to my friends on here more than I talk to "real life friends".
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    What matters is the connection you make to people. People online have the ability to make me feel loved, happy, excited, passionate, angry, depressed, sad, and compassionate. I learn from them and they from I. They are as real in my life as any physical presence.

    *mwah* You're such an amazing person, hon.
  • Sovi_
    Sovi_ Posts: 575 Member
    What matters is the connection you make to people. People online have the ability to make me feel loved, happy, excited, passionate, angry, depressed, sad, and compassionate. I learn from them and they from I. They are as real in my life as any physical presence.

    I WANT YOUR SKIN!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    When I get to sink my teeth into that *kitten*!
    8873686_3862.jpg

    *gasp* HEY! That's my butt!!!



    I often believe my MFP friends are IRL friends that I simply haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet. I mean... in reality it's only a matter of time before I actually get to motorboat Michelle.
    I've "known" you so long and in so many ways (not as dirty as it sounds) that I forget we've never met ...

    There aren't a lot of online people I have never met who feel like IRL friends, so usually I would say not until I actually meet them. But then there are a few like Odus ...
  • _JPunky
    _JPunky Posts: 508 Member
    What matters is the connection you make to people. People online have the ability to make me feel loved, happy, excited, passionate, angry, depressed, sad, and compassionate. I learn from them and they from I. They are as real in my life as any physical presence.

    Truth.
  • JewelsinBigD
    JewelsinBigD Posts: 661 Member
    I do live in the great state of Texas!~
    I think of my FL as friends too - some of them seem to care more about me than those IRL...
  • Muddy_Yogi
    Muddy_Yogi Posts: 1,459 Member
    Yep...totally consider some of these sick freaks my IRL friends. They just don't know it yet. I mean....I don't "stalk" them per se......I mean nothing that would hold up in court anyway.
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
    What matters is the connection you make to people. People online have the ability to make me feel loved, happy, excited, passionate, angry, depressed, sad, and compassionate. I learn from them and they from I. They are as real in my life as any physical presence.

    I WANT YOUR SKIN!

    I want the skin of both of you and also Haley.

    And Maple.

    And all of my FL

    Many of my friends here know more about me than many of the people I know IRL. And i love that they do....and they still like me. And that they virtually molest me.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    Introverts tend to be more open with people they meet online than people they know in real life. That's definitely true for me, at least until very recently. There is a ton of stuff that people on here know about me that a lot of my IRL friends and family don't know. My family expects certain things. They expect me to be a certain way because they've known me forever. I was always quiet, always kept my feelings to myself. Anything new or different about me seems odd to them, and I'd rather not have to explain myself.

    I think even online, you can feel a certain connection with someone. You just click with them. Things may get lost in translation from time to time, but overall, you have an understanding that transcends words on a screen, so there is a lot you don't have to say. That's appealing to me. I have that with a few people on my FL. I have a feeling they know who they are.
  • Xxoxo
    Xxoxo Posts: 233
    I'm already scared of people on here….. can't imagine it in RL haha :embarassed:
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    Of course, I consider many of them IRL friends and plan to have some meetups soon!
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    I consider many on my list "real" friends. But sadly, the internet makes it so easy to cast people aside. I've been trying to learn not to get too attached to folks.

    I've hung out with some really awesome people. I have formed real "friendships" with many that I will never meet. But at any time, any one of you could disappear from my life, and I may never know why.

    I just try to accept this place for what it is and take the best from it that I can get.
  • WeepingAngel81
    WeepingAngel81 Posts: 2,232 Member
    I haven't been on MFP long but I have made connections here that leave in impression on me. From another website, I have been friends with 12 ladies I met online during our pregnancies 5 years ago. We chat online every single day. When my ex left me, 2 of them dropped everything and flew to Nebraska to be with me. Another one has a daughter the same age as mine and they are now pen pals. I haven't had the chance to meet them all, and I might not ever, but my day is simply not complete without the chance to check in and see how they are doing. Yes, these ladies are my real life friends.

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