NMSI Online Friendships Synthesis

Introduction

Aristotle said, “Man is by nature a social animal.” We rely on friends and social networks both to share
our good fortune and to support us when we encounter misfortune. In Aristotle’s day, those friends were
people who met face-to-face. In the 2000 years since Aristotle’s death, advances in transportation and
technology have made it possible for us to develop and/or maintain friendships with people who live
many miles away. With the advent of the Internet – with its chat rooms, social media, and online gaming – we now count as our friends people that we might never meet face-to-face. But are these friendships as
real and enduring as friendships we make the old fashioned way, face-to-face? Do we truly know our
online friends, or is it possible that they are not really the people they seem to be?

Assignment

In an essay that synthesizes at least three sources for support, take a position on whether it is possible for
online friendships to be as genuine and sincere as friendships that are developed face-to-face.
Use the sources to develop your argument and explain the reasoning for it. Indicate clearly which sources
you are drawing from, whether through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. You may cite the
sources as Source A, Source B, etc., or by using the descriptions in parentheses.