What Are Friends For?

Has it truly become this easy to delete people? Erase, Block, Un-friend, De-friend, Re-friend, Be-friend, UGH, these words have become such a growing part of our tech-savvy society's vocabulary in the last decade, thanks to internet social networking. The world has become so much smaller, as we can reach almost anyone, anywhere, anytime on the other side of the world, with our mobile phones. For example, my mom is in the Philippines right now and the only way I have been able to contact her is through social network messaging. It's fast, convenient, easily accessible and used internationally. Last week I took some time to conduct a massive interweb cleanup... meaning I deleted lots of "friends" from my social network profile. Quotations placed around the word "friends" holds implications of slight sarcasm and annoyance with the overuse and misuse of the word. My cleanup consisted of this self-inquiry... "Who have I NOT corresponded with in the last year (or 5 or 10 years), that I am almost positive will not miss the access to my presence on this website?" Also "Is it necessary for all of these random people from high school or my past whom I have not spoken to or seen in years and will probably not speak to again, to have access to my daily life and family photos?" And so I went on my merry way deleting people. As our personal information, daily whereabouts, and momentary updates become more easily accessible to our "friends" have we actually grown closer to, or further from them? It seems many of us may sit staring at our glowing screens for hours, at photos or links provided by 'friends' just for entertainment, or to get updated on how our friends/family are doing across the country, yet this world seems to also hold an epidemic of loneliness. I have heard countless people/friends/family members say how lonely they are, but how can THAT BE when you have 357 "friends" in your social network profile? How many 'friends' do we need in order to feel fulfilled and not alone? I love using social networks to keep in touch and see my friends babies, and bands and businesses growing, but I need real, tangible, huggable, "I'll be there to talk whenever you need me" type friends in my daily life. I am so grateful for the ones who have stuck by me for so many years, who I know will truly be there if needed, and I love their hugs and the warmth of their smiles and voices, even if only seen in digital photographs or heard on the phone or touched once a year when I travel to them. Those moments and memories are lasting; those times are the best; those feelings are never deleted; Those friends know who they are, and that they are loved.