I find it fascinating that they never once mention instant messaging. As a boy, I found it very difficult to make friends. I was insecure and emotionally guarde

I find it fascinating that they never once mention instant messaging. As a boy, I found it very difficult to make friends. I was insecure and emotionally guarded. This was only made worse by being bullied by most other kids. I did have a few very good friends, but was still lonely. This changed drastically when I found a few friends online (via an online game, Dungeon Siege) and we played and chatted every day. I was taken aback by the way I was able to bond with people and how easily they accepted me for who I was, when they didn't see my nervous physical form. During this period I entered into a long-distance relationship with a girl I'd never met. She helped me overcome a lot of my social awkwardness and issues with self-confidence. We ended up meeting a year later and spent seven years in a long-distance relationship. We spent time together each major holiday, though plane tickets were expensive. In-between these visits we chatted on various IM services. This was great, but I still often felt lonely, being apart. We're now married and have been living together for six years. Being together for real each day is an incredible improvement. Still, our time together but apart was invaluable. I also recently realised that the majority of my close friends are people I met online.