(Source: https://threader.app/thread/1468433037369217031)
Limited interaction
In real life the average person does not interact with a lot of people at the same time. Those one interacts with closely are either relatives or friends who usually have gone through a period of real-life acclimatization. Of course, there are love and friendships at first sight (the old H would think you are seeing someone you already knew in a past birth). There are lots of subtle cues – appearance, body language, odors etc – that play a role in the formation of linkages.
These are absent on SM like this. People usually come to know each other through their writings – which they may find resonant or irksome.
Illusion of closeness
However, it gives an illusion of being close – like seeing actors repeatedly in a TV serial and developing some sense of connection to them. Thus, many interact as though they would with real life friends. But many of these connections will probably never work out in real life. Moreover, not everyone can handle the bandwidth of communication that occurs on SM or give a communication proper attention when there is a high volume of them. Taken together, one should be wary of concluding that people might be on your pakṣa without more study.
Celebrity effect- visual media
Source: TW
One of the peculiarities (not sure how widespread) of the celebrity effect among Americans of European ancestry are actual statements like: I'd love to have a friend like B.Obama''. I’d real wish I can meet J.Rogan some day’’. ``I wish I could spend time with X&Y". X,Y unknown to me but they are not film personalities rather some folks who make utube videos. I can imagine some H make statements like wanting to see N.Modi. May be those who watch X-wood might want to see some of their favorite film-folks. But these statements sounded very personal – it almost seems like the internet visual medium has brought people who do not belong in their real life too close to them, blurring the difference between normal & imagined acquaintance. What I’m not sure is how prevalent this is across races/cultures.