Johannes Buiza
Author
Caitlin Castillo
Graphic Artist
Connecting with Friends: Online vs Offline
Nowadays, with the onset of technology and the current pandemic, connection can be done in two ways— online, in the digital world, and offline, where physical interaction can take place. The two can be weighed based on their positive and negative aspects.
Connecting online with friends via calls and chats, or even with video conferences, is advantageous for us since you can access it at any place and any time you would like if you have connection or data on your device. This also enables us to communicate with friends via group chats or personal messages.
On the topic of going outside and bonding with friends, the first advantage would be the chance to move freely and get a breath of fresh air, as well as losing weight since you move around often and tend to sweat a lot. Lastly, you are able to interact with your friends in real life, outside of the digital world.
These advantages may be true; however, the disadvantages of either option cannot be set aside.
With online connections, one of its disadvantages is sitting for a number of hours at a time, which can lead to a sedentary lifestyle. Next, having no data or poor network reception means little to no chances of communicating with your pals. Lastly, it is also a necessity to have gadgets, or else connection with friends would be impossible.
Moving on to offline connection, the biggest disadvantage is that it is not safe as of this moment due to the virus that is still lurking, which might eventually lead to its transmission to our friends and family. Moreover, other illnesses also exist amidst the ongoing pandemic. Sadly, some people are careless enough to ignore their own condition, and still insist on going outside.
As of this time, connecting online is the best choice because it is safe. On the other hand, connecting offline will most likely be possible in the near future because of the current virus outbreak. Nevertheless, whether we prefer to catch up with our friends offline or online, we should always make sure that we treat them with utmost care and respect. Let us also be our true selves, remembering that the user behind the screen is also a person. As the Golden Rule says, ”treat others the way you want to be treated.”