25 June 2007, ST
Not all that much, some say. But the Net is an easy way to keep in touch
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Meeting face-to-face is best
USING the Internet to find friends is a double-edged sword. How effective it is depends on how it is used.
It helps me connect with my friends residing overseas, with tools such as e-mail and weblogs bridging the distance between us.
This is especially important as telephone calls are both costly and inconvenient if there is a big time difference.
But I would prefer to chat with my friends here over coffee. With no distance barrier, there is no excuse not to meet up.
For me, weblog updates and instant messaging can never replace the intimacy of face-to-face gatherings, nor transmit the tender subtleties of a smile or a hug.
Chew Zhi Wen, 20, will study law and economics at the National University of Singapore
---------------------------------
A tool for interaction
I MAY not have many friends on social networking site Friendster, but I do not view the number as a gauge of my popularity.
These numbers represent people whom I know personally. We share common interests, and the website is an avenue of congregation.
A simple search online shows me how they have changed and what they are up to currently.
But make no mistake, online or offline, real friends are those who stand by you in times of need, not those who just make up the numbers.
Ephraim Loy, 24, is a first-year social science student at the Singapore Management University
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Who exactly are you?
IF CREATING a friendship is attributable to the Internet, it has come at the cost of an identity dilution - where people hide behind usernames and conceal their imperfections.
Individualism is sacrificed for the sake of pleasing others such that it is nearly impossible to post a mediocre photograph of oneself without being derided.
Imagine having to hide who you are when communicating with people from the security of your room!
Perhaps years of lectures on Internet safety are so deeply entrenched in us that the tweaking of our identities online has become a habit. Even so, it still remains an irony for friendships to be forged on the basis of untruths.
Alicia Ng, 23, is a third-year accountancy student at the Singapore Management University
---------------------------------
Make better use of time
A RECENT survey conducted by the University of Southern California concluded that online friendships are as important as offline ones.
However, having thousands of 'online' friends may not be something to be proud of, unless this popularity accounts for something tangible in reality.
Rather than investing time on buttering up an online persona, youths should use the Internet to engage friends in ways that our parents never could.
Online, we can now expand our knowledge and participate in real-time debate - all while getting to know each other better.
Hopefully, teens addicted to online popularity will realise this and make better use of their youth.
Liana Tang, 22, is a honours-year biology student at the National University of Singapore
---------------------------------
Online games expand horizons
I BELIEVE that the best friendships are almost always forged through adversity, and as such, 'online' relationships are probably superficial.
However, online gaming presents a different proposition. You can find people from totally different backgrounds and cultures banding together, engaging each other in pursuit of a common goal.
Through my gaming experiences, I have got to know a French lawyer and soldiers stationed in Iraq. These are people I would never be able to meet within my social circle.
I have also learnt about their experiences in a different country - a priceless lesson if there was one.
Saw Lidong, 22, graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a Diploma in Mass Communication
---------------------------------
Tea and cakes, anyone?
WHILE many of us may prefer the traditional face-to-face meeting, the reality is that our lives can get so busy that it is impossible to meet.
Even if we find the time for a get-together, it is almost always a hassle accommodating everyone's equally busy schedule.
The solution: virtual meet-ups on the Internet.
It provides an avenue to maintain friendships, and is inexpensive and convenient. Most people will also have access to it in this day and age.
We can utilise various online tools to receive instant updates on each other's lives, all in our own time.
However, we should not regard this convenience as a perfect substitute. Nothing beats meeting over tea and cakes.
Anna Wong, 21, is a second-year psychology student at the National University of Singapore
Not all that much, some say. But the Net is an easy way to keep in touch
---------------------------------
Meeting face-to-face is best
USING the Internet to find friends is a double-edged sword. How effective it is depends on how it is used.
It helps me connect with my friends residing overseas, with tools such as e-mail and weblogs bridging the distance between us.
This is especially important as telephone calls are both costly and inconvenient if there is a big time difference.
But I would prefer to chat with my friends here over coffee. With no distance barrier, there is no excuse not to meet up.
For me, weblog updates and instant messaging can never replace the intimacy of face-to-face gatherings, nor transmit the tender subtleties of a smile or a hug.
Chew Zhi Wen, 20, will study law and economics at the National University of Singapore
---------------------------------
A tool for interaction
I MAY not have many friends on social networking site Friendster, but I do not view the number as a gauge of my popularity.
These numbers represent people whom I know personally. We share common interests, and the website is an avenue of congregation.
A simple search online shows me how they have changed and what they are up to currently.
But make no mistake, online or offline, real friends are those who stand by you in times of need, not those who just make up the numbers.
Ephraim Loy, 24, is a first-year social science student at the Singapore Management University
---------------------------------
Who exactly are you?
IF CREATING a friendship is attributable to the Internet, it has come at the cost of an identity dilution - where people hide behind usernames and conceal their imperfections.
Individualism is sacrificed for the sake of pleasing others such that it is nearly impossible to post a mediocre photograph of oneself without being derided.
Imagine having to hide who you are when communicating with people from the security of your room!
Perhaps years of lectures on Internet safety are so deeply entrenched in us that the tweaking of our identities online has become a habit. Even so, it still remains an irony for friendships to be forged on the basis of untruths.
Alicia Ng, 23, is a third-year accountancy student at the Singapore Management University
---------------------------------
Make better use of time
A RECENT survey conducted by the University of Southern California concluded that online friendships are as important as offline ones.
However, having thousands of 'online' friends may not be something to be proud of, unless this popularity accounts for something tangible in reality.
Rather than investing time on buttering up an online persona, youths should use the Internet to engage friends in ways that our parents never could.
Online, we can now expand our knowledge and participate in real-time debate - all while getting to know each other better.
Hopefully, teens addicted to online popularity will realise this and make better use of their youth.
Liana Tang, 22, is a honours-year biology student at the National University of Singapore
---------------------------------
Online games expand horizons
I BELIEVE that the best friendships are almost always forged through adversity, and as such, 'online' relationships are probably superficial.
However, online gaming presents a different proposition. You can find people from totally different backgrounds and cultures banding together, engaging each other in pursuit of a common goal.
Through my gaming experiences, I have got to know a French lawyer and soldiers stationed in Iraq. These are people I would never be able to meet within my social circle.
I have also learnt about their experiences in a different country - a priceless lesson if there was one.
Saw Lidong, 22, graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a Diploma in Mass Communication
---------------------------------
Tea and cakes, anyone?
WHILE many of us may prefer the traditional face-to-face meeting, the reality is that our lives can get so busy that it is impossible to meet.
Even if we find the time for a get-together, it is almost always a hassle accommodating everyone's equally busy schedule.
The solution: virtual meet-ups on the Internet.
It provides an avenue to maintain friendships, and is inexpensive and convenient. Most people will also have access to it in this day and age.
We can utilise various online tools to receive instant updates on each other's lives, all in our own time.
However, we should not regard this convenience as a perfect substitute. Nothing beats meeting over tea and cakes.
Anna Wong, 21, is a second-year psychology student at the National University of Singapore
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