The internet isn't real life

We need to retire the phrases “it’s just the internet” and “the internet isn’t real life.”

Not everyone values the time they spend online in the same way, and some do not value it at all. But the fact is, online life is real life.

People gather online to connect and find community they often cannot find in person or find leverage online connections to find local community.

People find best friends, romantic partners, and are exposed to cultures, people, and perspectives they would not otherwise encounter.

People, especially young people, bully each other online to the point of sometimes catastrophic results.

If you haven’t watched the “Feels Good Man” documentary, I recommend giving it a watch. It outlines how an online forum changed the trajectory of a presidential election.

The book “Meme Wars” covers how online memes impacted real life and helped bring about a terrifying historical event.

And yet people will say, “don’t worry about it, the internet isn’t real life,” but it is and it is deeply connected to “real life.”

Whether people connect on Twitch, Reddit, TikTok, Discord, in a game, or somewhere else, the connections people make are real.

Besides, if the internet were not real life, why do we spend so much money to be seen on the internet?

Without the internet and online community, I do not know who or where I would be. It is why I am so incredibly passionate about online communities.