This is very long overdue. We could make up a lot of excuses but all the staff have been busy with irl stuff and the recent meetup event.

Sooo yeah, this is it! We will be announcing the winners of last month's blogging contest about meeting people you've met online in real life!

We have an overwhelming number of entries, which we appreciate so much! Thank you to all who submitted their entries! We included some staff's entries here but we didn't include them in the judging. (Sorry staff, lab pa rin namin kayo)

Without further ado, here are the entries..

The Entries

Meeting online friends is great, but...
By: @ruffatotmeee

To be honest, meeting a virtual friend is really not an option for me. I have so many reasons why I don't want to do that, But, even if that's the case, that doesn't mean I never imagine meeting all of my virtual friends from here and there.

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Sometimes, Meeting your online friends is risky too
By: @xanreo

Of course! I really like to meet them. But then, I'm an introvert, and I don't know how to communicate well. I'm still afraid of meeting people—not of the fear that they will do something bad to me, but of what they will think of me when they see me in person. How I wish I could fight this feeling.

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Meeting Online Friends: Is it Worth It?
By: @scion02b

Through that online community, I actually have found some of my lifelong friends whom I still keep in touch with through the years. The friendship was formed based on our passion with photography and travels while we were in Japan. Truly, I can say meeting my online friends was definitely worth it as they became real ones.

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April Blogging Contest / Online friends
By: @nill2021

My advice to a person who intends to meet his friend online would be to be careful, we do not know the true intention of that person, the appointment should be in a public place where there are no risks and above all tell someone you trust where you are going to meet your friend online, you run the risk of falling into the hands of predators, do not believe everything they tell you behind the screen many things are said to be real is another.

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Meeting Online Friends for the First Time: The Thrills and Excitement
By: @selflessgem

We are hesitant and in doubt during the first meeting up with online friends for all of us have different likes and dislikes but respect is the key to it. Agree if you like and say something if you don't, have a better camaraderie in the group and probably with that, the meet up will be successful

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MY ONLINE FRIENDS: MEET-UP
By: @fire.phoenix

Well, if I have a final decision whether I would like to meet them or not, I will felt some butterflies and excitement, thinking what their face would be like; if they really beautiful or handsome,beautiful voices, tall or short, muscular, etc. Of course that’s the way I would felt about it especially that it is the first time of meeting them up.

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WHAT'S IT LIKE TO MEET AN ONLINE FRIEND?
By: @jude.villarta

Yes! I love meeting up with friends who are friendly and not toxic and can be trusted, the ones I shared above were proof that I can find true friends online more than ones in real life.

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Beyond The Screen - Meeting Virtual Friends
By: @nmore

The relationships I formed online became more sincere as I got older. I've maintained contact with several online companions for over ten years. And naturally, some of them I've already met in person. On the other hand, the folks I met online and then in real life were those I had shared fond moments with.

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Friends online?📲 /April contest
By: @elisa2021

And I think it would be great to meet people from other parts of the world as it would be great to deepen their cultures, traditions, languages and lifestyle to which they are accustomed.

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Thoughts of Meeting with the Virtual Friends
By: @sensiblecast

"Oh I'm introverted so I can't do so and so and so". No. Suck it up like an adult. Hate me to say this, but that's on you, this is tough love. You can always shy away during the meet-up, but just by simply telling the people you're meeting how you feel, I am sure they would try and help you not to feel that way, especially if they're the friends they tell you that they are.

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Meeting Online Friends | Strangers are Friends We Haven't Met Yet
By: @romeskie

Before that meetup, I was excited and anxious at the same time. I only met these people online and we did not have any common friends irl. The internet, while it is intended to connect people with each other, may still be full of unsafe characters. Luckily, the friends I met were the nicest people I know now. They have become my friends for keeps. Oli's wife and I became close friends too even if we only met each other in person once.

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To Meet or Not To Meet That is The Question
By: @tpkidkai

Building connections virtually has been a lifesaver for me as someone who's having struggles speaking with other people. I am more of a don't talk to me and I will not talk to you guys back then but then again I started to work on my communication skills.

On that day, I wished that the day would not end we bonded from the afternoon until late at night.

And the winner is...

@scion02b
Meeting Online Friends: Is it Worth It?

Congratulations! Your prizes have been sent!

And congratulations to all who participated in this contest. We appreciate you all!

Watch out for the announcement of the next blogging contest~

Til next time!

_{Click on the banner to join the Hive PH discord server. Special thanks to sensiblecast for this awesome images.}