A friend of mine recently met someone on Instagram and they started flirting. They keep messaging each other on DM but they haven't met face to face yet. I think it's strange because a relationship should be in person, but she seems really happy. Do you think this kind of communication counts as a real relationship?
I don't think it's that strange; I also got to know someone through DMs and we ended up meeting. It lasted 3 months, it didn't end badly, but getting attached without meeting in person is risky. Still, if your friend is happy, they should go for it.
I can say my cousin got married on Instagram. It starts with texting from a distance, but if it doesn’t move to face-to-face at some point, it might end up breaking apart. Tell your friend to be careful, but I think these are normal things.
Now let's look at it from the other side: do you think there has to be something that contradicts your personal expectations in flirting? You say that a relationship can't happen without being face to face, but you're saying your friend looks happy right now. So, it can happen? Just because you limit yourself, does that mean others are limited too?
Research on relationships that start on social media actually says some complicated things. People experience something called 'online disinhibition,' meaning they are more open and bold online. However, if that connection isn't established face-to-face, the relationship generally remains superficial. If a friend wants to take it a bit further, I would say they should arrange a real meeting in a short time.
My friend has been messaging from DM for three weeks. The guy seems to be talking quite nicely from what I've seen, but he's currently out of town for some reason, and even though he said "let's meet," I'm still waiting. I'm not sure if he's serious about it. Do you think he is just messing around? 😳
So who initiated the first message? For instance, did the guy send something, or was it your friend? I think this could be a bit important in understanding the intention.
Tell your friend, if this "I'm out of town right now" thing is going to last a long time, just ask directly: "When are you available to meet?" It will clear things up. If he's just stalling, you'll understand right away and won't waste any time.
Did Adam say something like 'Honestly, I want to meet you but I'm very busy'? Because that's one of those classic excuses. If he doesn't give a clear time, I'd say not to hold on to hope.
