1. RIENDSHIP Image: mcdordor 2001 (flickr)

2. Image: jeansman (flickr) The beginning of a new friendship... Two people meet and begin to talk to one another in an attempt to get to know each other.

3. Image: I <3 nick jonas!!! (flickr) Image: rebraunstein (flickr) The conversation is usually stimulated by a mutual interest such as music, love of a celebrity, sports or cars Image: Cars Photos (flickr)

4. Image: Powerhouse Museum Collection (flickr) In the past, these initial interactions have lead to further meetings as two people get to know each other. They would talk over coffee or go on outdoor excursions developing a beautiful friendship.

5. Source: pshab (flickr) ENTER A social media site that has revolutionized friendship as we know it

6. Image: miss_rogue (flickr) After that initial meeting, now people add each other as “friends” on social media sites such as facebook so that they can view each others profiles and chat via wall posts or instant messaging.

7. Profiles provide instant information about one’s Likes/Dislikes Image: epSos.de (flickr)

8. Activities/Interests Image: gbalogh (flickr)

9. EDUCATION Image: miketariton (flickr) … and much more

10. Image: JerryDP (flickr) One can learn more about someone from their online profile than from several in-person meetings.

11. Image: Romolachea.netpic’s Image: Ed Yourdan (flickr) THUS… Instead of going out to meet with people and chat in person, people are choosing to stay each in their own space and chat with people online via social media sites.

12. This is creating a new type of VIRTUAL friendship Image: rafaejewells (flickr)

13. This new type of friendship allows people to “Shut others off when they don’t have the time or the will” and “control the intensity of our connections” - Professor Sherry Turkle in “The great disconnect: Using Facebook for social distance” Image: winterofdiscontent (flickr)

14. These virtual friendships can be classified as shallow disconnected socially distant individual Image: Simon Godley (flickr)

15. “People are spending more time online and less time face-face” - Craig Marcus, an executive creative director at McCann Erickson Creating anti-social tendencies Image: jackdog2508 (flickr)

16. Some people can no longer express their feelings in person…. Image: Dmitri N (flickr)

17. Image: Daniel Colvin Fine Art (flickr) Instead they hide behind screens and rely on cell phone texting,facebook or other social media sites to tell people how they really feel - Jessica Bonheaur “study examines social media’s impact on student mental health, interpersonal activity”

18. Is this how a friendship should be? isolated?

19. Dentyne recently created an ad campaign to inspire people to power down their technology devices and meet face to face - “Log Off, Latch On, Make Facetime: Dentyne's New Campaign Turns Heads “

20. Image: ctsiokos (flickr)

21. Image: Edmund Tse (flickr) The campaign is based on the idea that technology is good but it does not offer all the benefits of being in person - Craig Marcus “Log Off, Latch On, Make Facetime: Dentyne's New Campaign Turns Heads”

22. Image: acordova (flickr)

23. Image: ATIS547 (flickr)

24. Image: acordova (flickr)

25. What distinguishes a happy hello from a sarcastic, upset or angry one? Image: bowen_jac (flickr) DISADVANTAGE: While talking online it is difficult to detect ones tone, which can often create confusion

26. Many friends experience disagreements online because of simple misunderstandings “Nearly 70 percent [of surveyed students] have had an argument exclusively via text message,” – Jessica Bonheur “Study examines social media’s impact on student mental health, interpersonal activity” Image: denislpaul (flickr)

27. Then again, social media allows you to connect with anyone, anywhere in the world at anytime

28. An easy and inexpensive way to keep in contact with friends and family that can not be seen everyday

29. Technology has changed friendship as we know it Whether good or bad YOU DECIDE But the plain truth is Use social media, but don’t forget about the importance of real contact Image: camorico183 (flickr)