Modern computer technology has made a new kind of human relationship possible: online friendship. 【小题1】 Are online friendships as beneficial as face-to-face friendships? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having virtual friends? Can people form strong bonds online? Today these questions are the subject of lively debate.

Some people believe that the Internet is the best way to make new friends. It’s convenient, it’s fast, and it allows making contact with different kinds of people from all over the world. When you use social networking, websites and chat rooms, you can easily find people with interests and hobbies similar to yours. Information updates and photos add to the experience. Making friends on the Internet is especially good for shy people who feel uncomfortable in social situations. It’s often easier to share thoughts and feelings online. 【小题2】 They can make people feel less lonely and help them solve problems.

Although the Internet can encourage friendship, it has a major disadvantage. 【小题3】 Online friends only tell you what they want you to know. They sometimes exaggerate their good qualities and hide the less positive ones, so you can’t be sure of what they really like. That is why you should not give personal information to anyone online unless you’re totally sure of who that person is.

Can online friendship be as meaningful as face-to-face ones? There are different points of view. Researchers at the University of Southern California surveyed 2,000 households in the United States. The results showed that more than 40 percent of participants feel “as strongly about their online buddies” as they do about their “offline” friends. 【小题4】 In contrast, there are many people who believe that it’s not possible to have deep relationships with online friends, A young Indian software engineer, Lalitha Lakshmipathy, says, “it’s good to feel connected with many people, but all my e-buddies are not necessarily my close friends.” They say that it’s hard to develop feelings of trust and connection when you don’t share experiences in person.

People continue to express different opinions about online friendship. However, most of them would agree that virtual friendships must not replace face-to-face friendships. As one life coach says, “a social networking site should only be the ‘add on’ in any relationship.”