Friends...how many of us have them?!

Yes, that is a famous song from old school Hip Hop Rap artist Whodini, but i'm seriously beginning to wonder, how many real friends do we have and what is your definition of a friend???

First there was...

Then there was...

Trailing not far behind was...

And then of course...

And finally, the infamous "follow me" on...

Don't get me wrong...finding ways to stay in touch with friends is one thing, but when they replace your connection of a friendship is another. What happened to the times when you would actually pick up a phone to call and ask your girlfriend how she was doing and what was going on new in her life. Facebook and Twitter has totally replaced the need for you to do that.

If you want to know if your friend is in a relationship or recently broke up with her boyfriend, is engaged, has a birthday coming up, or some drama on the job, in her relationship or with family, you will find this information within the first half of the page on her Facebook wall. This leaves you with no need to pick up the phone. Next thing you know, you are communicating through Facebook only and eventually not at all. And we all know what happens after you havent talked in months on Facebook. Phone call finally you say?! Nope...DELETE off of friends list with the assumption that friend could care less what is going on in your life since they havent reached out and wrote on your wall lately. Crazy right?! Sad more like, but true in most cases.

Is friendship even real these days outside of the friends you grew up with and managed to hold on to or is it about how many people you can friend on Facebook or how many people you can follow or have follow you on Twitter? Seems to me its more about quantity then quality. Seriously, how many times do you look at your Facebook friendlist and say, "Who the heck is that and how or why did i even friend them? Like do we have mutual friends or something?" Without even thinking a second time, you are letting a total stranger into your life...literally. The pictures you post, the statuses you write, your deepest feelings....do they really deserve to know all of this?

I have to admit, i have been somewhat guilty of this, but i recognized it immediately and decided to call a friend at the first thought of them. Life is too short and friendships are important to have when your family isn't there, when your relationship falls apart, when the walls of your world seem to fall down around you, and when typing instead of talking just isnt enough.

In conclusion, i don't think social networking is a bad thing at all. I think it's great. I have found many friends that i thought i would never see again because of it. However, don't allow it to replace human contact.

Sincerelyniah xoxoxo!