As the internet has developed in the last 10 years, it has improved the quality of long distance relationships, helped new people come together, and helped old friends find each other again. My mum found her boyfriend through a dating website, my cousin found her internet best friend via social media, and I keep up with many of my sporting idols through various different platforms.

And its great; we get to communicate with people from other parts of the world and with people who we wouldn’t know that well anymore, if it weren’t for messaging apps. But what seems like a casual message, simple words, from one person can stay on someone else’s mind for a long time – whether that be an argument or criticism made cold and blunt by black and white font, or an insincere promise, brief, but just enough to keep someone holding on.

After how long do you stop talking to someone on the internet if you never see them? A month? A year? How long does it take to get attached to someone’s internet presence, get excited when you see their name pop up on your phone?

You see, a year ago I’d have laughed at the mere thought of feeling any attachment to anyone you don’t see regularly, with the exception of family, but now I’m not so sure anymore. People have busy schedules, the internet is an easy way to stay in touch – its fair enough.

But I continue to ask myself, can you love someone you’d walk past in the street? And if you love them that much, surely you’d make time for them?

These questions I will surely continue to ask myself for a long time, and maybe I won’t ever find answers, but that’s maybe okay; who knows what my future will bring – may that be internet related or otherwise.