Digital friendships have become indispensable. Every day, countless friendships are made on social media. A friend request on Facebook, a swipe to the right on Tinder – it’s never been easier to make contacts. But how important are digital friendships? Will it soon be possible to make friends in an app store? And how can smartphones help people overcome their loneliness?

Are you planning a 90-minute workshop on the subject “Digital friendships”? Scroll down to find helpful ideas.

You will find specific ideas and example excercises for your workshop participants.

The yearning for true friendship is as old as humankind itself. But what makes up a true friendship? And how many real friends do you have? We asked several people these questions. Read their answers below.

“To me, true friends are the people I like to spend my time with and who I meet regularly.”

“I think, true friends are the people that stand by you, even when nobody else does.”

“If I count Facebook and Instagram friends, I have more than 900 friends. Most of them are not true friends, though. A true friend is there for you anywhere, anytime. You could ring their doorbell even in the dead of night and they would embrace you with open arms.”

Everyone defines friendship differently. Science has the following definition for friendship:

Some researchers see friendship “as a voluntary and personal relationship based not only on support and trust, but also on sympathy.”

“And where is your boyfriend/girlfriend?” This question annoys many singles. To avoid it, they use apps that fake real relationships.

Examples for such digital fake friends are apps like “Invisible Girlfriend” and “Invisible Boyfriend”. The user chooses a name, age, appearance, and personality for their fake partner.

Depending on the subscription, users receive short texts, voice mails, greeting cards, flowers, and even small gifts from their virtual partner. Even if they don’t really exist, the digital fake friends look deceptively real to the outside world.

The “Woebot” is a chatbot, similar to Replika. It was developed for people with depression and anxiety. Users can talk to the virtual therapist via Facebook chat. In contrast to a real therapist, the chatbot is always available to promote positive thinking, among other goals.

If you want to share your worries with real people you can do so by calling mental health helplines. Here, users can confide in an expert anonymously and share their fears and worries.

One in four Germans has looked for a partner on the Internet. Dating apps and platforms play an important role here. The selection is huge. On the following pages, you will find an overview of apps, platforms, and forums for making contacts. No matter whether you’re looking for friendships, a life partner, or like-minded people – with the right apps and platforms, you’ll find what you’re looking for.

Have you had your own experiences with online dating? If you want to make contact online, like Michelle and Josh, you should follow some safety tips.

Find out more on the next page!

False friends exist in both the analog and the digital worlds. There are many different kinds of false friends on the Internet, ranging from cyberbullies to cyberstalkers. In this chapter, you will learn how to protect yourself from false friends on the Internet.

Like cyberbullying, cyberstalking is a crime in which perpetrators stalk and persecute their victims on the Internet. Unlike cyberbullying, the primary aim of a cyberstalker is to get close to their victim. There are many reasons for cyberstalking, ranging from unrequited love to sheer hate.

In the video on the next page, people affected by cyberstalking tell their stories.

Loneliness – what does it mean exactly? According to Psychology Today, loneliness is the negative feeling of being separated and isolated from other people. People who are lonely often feel excluded, isolated, and unloved.

Today, people often use their smartphones to escape the feeling of loneliness. Therefore, we have to distinguish between analog and digital loneliness. You can find out more about the differences on the next page.

Daniel (9) suffers from Asperger syndrome, a form of autism. People like Daniel have problems reading and interpreting the feelings of others. It is therefore difficult for them to make and maintain friendships. The “Zirkus Empathico” app consists of many different training games that help Daniel learn to recognize and name his own feelings and those of others by watching short videos. Thanks to the app, Daniel is succeeding in interpreting his own emotions and those of others better and better, enabling him to make his first real friends.

Apps like these help autistic people to participate more in social life.

Carolin (27) and Jonas (29) have been together for almost two years. WhatsApp is a constant source of conflict in their relationship. Jonas is often online and active in many group chats, so smartphone pings almost every minute. Caroline is annoyed and feels neglected by Jonas. She wants him to leave some of the group chats.

What do you think about leaving groups? What can Jonas do to improve the situation? And how can he leave the groups without hurting his friends’ feelings?

Leaving a group chat
If you want to leave a group chat, you can do it in WhatsApp with the “Leave group” function. The problem: the remaining group members are notified that you have left, which is often perceived as rude. It may signal disinterest to the remaining chat participants.

Tip
Announce that you are leaving beforehand and explain your reasons. Say goodbye to your digital friends politely. Keep in mind, however, that leaving group chats can still have a negative impact on your relationships.

The Internet and social media can be a bridge for building friendships and social relationships. Digital connectivity has many advantages. On social media, we can share moments with people who are very far away from us. Sharing, liking, and commenting can transform loneliness into happiness. In this module, you learned about the many ways that digital media connects people. And if you follow our tips, you won’t have to fear false friends on the Internet, either.