Friendship IRL: Real Talk About Friendship, Community, and What It Actually Takes
Alex Alexander
Podcast
Episodes
Listen, download, subscribe
The Spectrum of Digital Connection, From “Likes” to Deep Conversations
The other day I was telling a friend about my goal to be better about responding to text messages in a more timely manner. My friend agreed: this was something I needed to work on! And this was fair. Other friends have called me out on this, too. But after recent episodes about virtual communities, parasocial relationships, and online friendship, it hit me that I’m not actually bad at ALL digital connection; I’m just drawn to certain types. In today’s episode, I delve into the spectrum of digital connection, which I’ve segmented into four levels: surface-level signals, active updates, intentional connection, and deeper dive connections. I cover the purpose and challenges of each and why they matter. I hope this episode helps you find your “sweet spot” and figure out where you’d like to focus your digital attention, because here’s the thing about digital communication: it’s not just some optional add-on to friendship anymore. Whether our friends live across the world or ten minutes away, bumping into each other online is one of the primary ways we connect these days, so strengthening this skill will only help your friendships. In this episode you’ll hear about: My four levels of digital connection: surface-level signals, active updates, intentional connection, and deeper dive connections, and examples for eachUnderstanding our own strengths and weaknesses in digital connection and the practice it takes to become skilled in each formatThe value and challenges for each form of communication; for example, surface-level signals and active updates are easy to implement but can sometimes feel one-sidedCommon struggles in digital connection, including mismatched expectations, overwhelm, and guilt about missing updates, and how to manage these struggles Resources & Links Listen to my recent episodes on digital connection, including Episode 129 and Episode 130, about making friends online, and Episode 128 about parasocial relationships. Like what you hear? Visit my website, leave me a voicemail, and follow me on Instagram and TikTok! Want to take this conversation a step further? Send this episode to a friend. Tell them you found it interesting and use what we just talked about as a conversation starter the next time you and your friend hang out! This episode is sponsored by Slowly, a digital pen pal app used by over 10 million people worldwide. If you’ve been looking for a low-pressure way to connect with someone completely outside your normal friendship circle, this is it. Exchange letters at your own pace, no small talk panic required. Download Slowly free and get 30% off Slowly Plus using my link: https://open.slowly.app/miXL/l8ei5iw6 WANT MORE? My book, Are We Friends Yet? hits shelves June 16. Get on the waitlist for pre-order bonuses + a first look. Dive into The Connection Reset. A 10-day private podcast to help you see the abundance of connection that already exists in your day-to-day (Yes. Really. I promise you have more than you realize). Start today.
Friendship IRL: Real Talk About Friendship, Community, and What It Actually Takes RSS Feed
