As with other interpersonal relationships, communication technologies such as social networking sites, Twitter, smartphones, e-mail, and text-messaging have reshaped the way people create friendships. In the past, people forged friendships slowly. They took time to discover the values and interests of their neighbors, coworkers, and acquaintances, and only then built friendships with those who shared their values and interests. Now, however, you can form friendships quickly and with more people—some whom you may never actually meet in person—simply by friending them on Facebook or other online communities (Stafford, 2005). This provides a valuable resource to people suffering from chronic shyness. They can interact with others and garner social and emotional support, without suffering the anxiety that direct face-to-face contact may cause (Pennington, 2009).

Communication technologies make it possible for friends to stay constantly connected with one another. For better or worse, you now can keep your friends updated 24/7 on the latest news in your life through posts and messages. Interestingly, much like within families (see Chapter 11), technology does not replace in-person interaction. People who regularly use cell phones to call and text their friends are more likely to also seek face-to-face encounters (Wang & Andersen, 2007).

Despite all of this technology, people continue to recognize the superiority of offline relationships and communication. Studies comparing offline versus online friendships find that offline friendships have higher degrees of intimacy, understanding, interdependence, and commitment (Chan & Cheng, 2004). Additionally, people prefer face-to-face interactions with friends when discussing deeply personal or troubling topics (Pennington, 2009).