It’s Cyber Monday, a perfect time to check in with your favorite online friends.
I talk to — well, text with — my friend Mike at least once a week. We went to school together and now he lives outside Philadelphia. Mostly, we share our favorite jokes from Seth Meyers’ “A Closer Look” Late Night segments and pictures of Gritty.
Another friend, Laura, and I update each other whenever Starbucks makes changes to its app. She lives in Colorado, a state I’ve never been but would love to visit…someday. When rewards drinks went from 150 to 200 stars? Oh, you can imagine the back and forth.
Tina and I worked at the same ad agency a million years ago. She’s in Brooklyn, and while we get together, oh, let’s generously call it every 3-4 months, we text about The Today Show on the regular (Hmm, I didn’t realize how much NBC factored into my socializing). We’re both still grieving Hoda Kotb’s imminent departure from the background of our daily morning routines and wondering if Craig Melvin can fill her shoes.
On this, the annual feast of Cyber Monday, I encourage you to deepen your ties with your favorite online friends.
What once sounded like the setup to a Keith Morrison sting has now become the default for so many of us. Friendships that live online.
And look, I get it! Whether you’re post-college, in the throes of raising kids, or simply too old to make plans after 7pm on a Tuesday, it can be easy to let relationships fester in the texts (or Instagram DMs, where I maintain a whole other set of weak tie relationships).
But community matters, and the people you can rely on to text you back? Those are your people.
Now, this isn’t some kind of comprehensive 10-step list to turn casual friends into I Love You, Man-style besties.
I mean, could you catch up at least by phone every now and again? Sure.
Personally, I’m a fan of texting, “Hey, I have a ten-minute walk ahead of me..would love to chat if you’re free!” so the pal on the receiving end doesn’t worry they’re getting roped into an hour-long download when they hear their phone ring and see my name pop up.
I saw another great idea on social media, where a man shared his friend group’s weekly habit of sending videos to one another with quick life updates:
Like I said, a great idea!
But for now, simply consider this Cyber Monday a good reminder to not take your online friends for granted.
Even if you never see them IRL, they are there for you.
Whether it’s fantasy team trading talk, the latest Brianna Chickenfry drama, or sharing your favorite Style Girlfriend stories back and forth, do it more often!
Or even try texting for reasons wholly unrelated to your specific shared obsession (gasp!). You may find yourself with a friend you’d actually be willing to leave the house for on a weeknight.
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image: Hilary Duff in A Cinderella Story (2004)/Style Girlfriend illustration
Check out more relationship stories from SG HQ:
The Do’s and Don’t’s of Post-Dating Friendship
Why is “Self-Care” a Dirty Word for Guys?
