It’s like watching Friends or the old ‘90s movie, Singles.
Sooner or later, even the closest group of friends will have to separate from each other as they go their separate ways. For some, it may be just as close as moving to another apartment building, but for others, it can mean moving out of state, or even working in another country.
Image credit: photostock | FreeDigitalPhotos.net
When that happens, there’s no need for a sad season ender. What you need is to keep it going through online means.
The obvious
Yes, it’s obvious, really. The first step is, of course, to make sure you are all in each other’s social networks. Even if one or two of you don’t like the idea of Twitter or Facebook, it’s a good idea to have an account, simply to keep in touch.
Even more important, all of you should agree to create special groups – be it a secret or closed group in Facebook, a specific circle in Google+, or an ongoing thread in email. For some of the more traditional, you can even go for something like private mailing list.
However it will be, what is important is that everyone is there. You all can’t be a part of each other’s lives if there are too many missing, right?
Other ways
And of course, there are other ways to keep in touch. For example, it doesn’t hurt to set up a time when everyone is online, so that all of you can talk to each other or even do a video conference (VoIP or similar services can provide audio).
Some people go so far as to even have synchronized events, such as watching the same thing, so that everyone can feel like they’re all sitting on one virtual sofa, watching the virtual TV and having a virtual good time – in the best possible sense.
Drawbacks
Of course, no matter how much fun it sounds like, out of sight is still out of mind. Eventually, as the novelty of seeing each other online all the time wears off, there will be that feeling that things aren’t the way they used to be.
The solution to that problem, of course, is for everyone to accept that things have changed a great deal. Even better, rather than go overboard and set a nightly chat practically every night of the week, set up one during the weekends, so that all of you can go out and experience new things, and then have something to talk about when you do get to talk to each other online again.
Ain’t nothing like the real thing
Another way to keep in touch is to visit each other occasionally – you don’t all have to get together. Visits in small groups, and the attendants’ Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter posts will be enough to keep the connections alive until the next event in real life.
But isn’t this Captain Obvious?
Many people are probably wondering – we do this every day, it’s a part of our lives, all this social media!
Well, it’s true, but a little bit of method and planning can easily organize the madness that is social media into a tool that can keep you and your friends in each other’s lives. Of course, it will mean that one or some will have to take the lead, but isn’t it worth it, if you can see your friends grow up, get jobs and have kids?
Heck, nothing beats simply knowing that your best friends will always be there, however virtually, when you need them.
Even in a world full of social media, what is important is the effort you have to put in to keep on being friends in roughly the same way you were when you were around each other in real life.
Edward Morrison
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