Samuel Russo Russo 1

Theresa DeFranzo

College Writing

Sept. 13, 2024

Final Draft Paper 1 - Synthesis

Friendships are one of the most important aspects of our lives. Our friends can make us

happier and healthier people overall. However, some people may find it hard to make friends.

For those who are socially anxious in real life, the thought of having to make friends in that type

of setting can overwhelm them. Spending a majority of their time online can be better for them.

It allows someone a chance to communicate without being face-to-face and stay up-to-date with

friends. Being strictly online can help to alleviate loneliness and social anxiety for someone in

person and can help make that person more comfortable talking to friends in both settings and

can lead to them living a better life.

Before extending a friendship from online to offline, people build up trust by interacting

with their friend and analyzing how they perform in an online setting. In “Contemporary

Friendships and social vulnerability among youth: Understanding the role of online and offline

contexts of interaction in Friendship Quality”, Scott el al. mentions that “For many young

people, digital environments provide an important extension to offline friendships, allowing

greater connection and interaction with both pre-existing friends and strangers.” (Scott 3452 qt.

Lenhart; Reich). This is evident in an interview done with Fletcher, a junior at UMass Lowell.

He states that with his friends that are a mix of both online and offline, he feels a lot more
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comfortable talking to them in person. For his online friends that extended to offline, he

expressed that getting to know them in an online setting helped him to better communicate with

them in person. He also states that the mixed-mode friendships are good for random texts, letting

his friends know what is happening in his life, and also planning stuff out. Scott et al. also

mentions that “more socially anxious and shy young adults may experience lower anxiety and

communication apprehension when communicating virtually relative to in-person. This may be a

direct result of feeling more comfortable and in control during online encounters and while

presenting the self online” (Scott 3455). Fletcher backs that up by saying that gaming has helped

him feel more comfortable both in person and online. He mentioned that he likes talking to new

people and that it usually goes well the first time talking to someone new. Gaming can help to

relieve the pressure of having to talk to others both in an online and an in-person setting, and can

help to improve someone’s social skills.

For someone who has a rough personal life, having friends online can make them happier

and healthier. Scott et al. notes that “A considerable body of research finds that cultivating

meaningful friendships is important during young adulthood as strong, supportive relationships

during this developmental period are associated with higher levels of companionship and

emotional security, as well as better conflict management and resolution across the lifespan”

(Scott 3453). Fletcher highlights this by noting that his online friends have helped him through

difficult periods by giving him emotional support and a feeling of belonging. Because of that,

gaming has helped him live a more peaceful life. He has developed a thicker skin. Very few

insults get under his skin and he really doesn’t care if someone calls him racist or homophobic

slurs. Gaming has also helped him shape his humor style, which can be very important in making
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friends. Having high quality friendships can help someone to enhance both their physical and

their mental health. The article found that “although social vulnerabilities can negatively

influence relationship development and maintenance in offline environments, online

environments (as a primary context of interaction) may mitigate the damaging effects of social

vulnerabilities on friendship quality.” (Scott 3465). Fletcher stated that his online interactions

have shaped who he is as a person and that being online has helped him to become less socially

vulnerable. Online gaming can be a safe space for socially vulnerable people because it allows

them to communicate freely and they don’t have to physically be around other people.

Depending on a person’s social skills, the mode in which they have their most friends and

closest friendships may vary. For someone who is socially anxious, online can be where they

have their closest friendships. For someone who can easily talk to new people and can build up

confidence and trust quickly, a mix of online and offline or just offline can be where they have

their closest friendships. The article states that “for the majority of young people, close

friendships are initiated offline, and maintained across both online and offline settings. Further,

young adults were least likely to report having exclusively online friends.” (Scott 3463). Fletcher

backs this up, saying that most of his friends are a mix of online and offline, and he doesn’t have

many friends that are exclusively online. The article found that “the frequency of interacting with

close friends positively predicted friendship quality, regardless of whether friendships were

primarily enacted online or offline.” (Scott 3464). Fletcher noted that how close his friends are

makes the biggest difference. For him, his friends who are strictly in-person or a mix of online

and offline are closer than they are just strictly offline. He expresses that for his relationships that

started online and went to offline, the first time meeting them in person tended to feel a lot
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closer. Having friends both online and offline can allow someone to get to know a person much

more than if it was strictly online or offline.

In conclusion, online gaming can have positive impacts on someone’s life. Individuals

can develop crucial social skills which builds up trust and camaraderie with friends. Online

gaming provides an environment for relaxation, which can help to reduce stress and improve

someone’s mental health. Friends who share similar experiences in both the online and offline

world can be closer to each other, creating a sense of emotional support. Overall, online gaming

offers a platform for close relationships, physical and mental wellness, and personal

achievement.
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Works Cited

Scott, Riley A., et al. “Contemporary Friendships and social vulnerability among youth:

Understanding the role of online and offline contexts of interaction in Friendship Quality.”

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, vol. 38, no. 12, 6 July 2021, pp. 3451–3471,

https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075211029384.

Fletcher. Personal interview. 11 Sep. 2024