Digital Intimacy: The Friendships We Build Online

Jesús and I met in Dakar, but we keep in touch through the internet — like so many of my closest connections. Sometimes I think about how strange that is: friendships built on pixels and faith.

He said something I can’t stop thinking about: “Technology isn’t making us less human — it’s showing us what kind of humans we are when no one’s watching.”

He’s right. Online spaces amplify what’s already there — curiosity, empathy, loneliness, rage. The platforms aren’t inherently toxic; they just mirror the room we bring to them.

Jesús uses social media to stay connected with family back home — video calls, group chats, voice notes that say “I’m okay” without saying it. But he also admitted that sometimes it’s exhausting. “It’s like living in two time zones emotionally,” he said.

That hit me hard. Because I’ve been there — half-asleep in one world, wide awake in another, scrolling through conversations that make you feel close and disconnected at the same time.

Maybe digital intimacy is its own language now. A space between presence and absence, where “typing…” is enough to make us feel seen.

The question isn’t how to escape it. It’s how to use it intentionally.

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Call to Action:
This week, try using your phone as a bridge, not a barrier. Send a voice note instead of a text. Call instead of DM. For more reflections on connection, technology, and humanity, subscribe to Safe Passages — where we learn to be present in every medium.