I remember when online chat rooms first started. I was a relatively young kid and I know that parents were worried about who their kids would meet online. Probably for that reason, I don’t recall being on any chat rooms myself. What’s more, as a rule follower, I inherited the idea that they were dangerous and bad.

Times have changed with a far more expansive array of options to connect with people online.

But I realized recently that while I think society is more accepting, I still carry that prejudice from when I was a child.

I have developed close relationships with people I have never met. While I cherish these relationships, I also felt that something must be lacking.

But, while in-person relationships are extremely valuable, our interconnected world has allowed me to connect with people I wouldn’t otherwise meet, and those relationships are extremely valuable to me!

Now that I recognize my prejudice, I look forward to making a conscious effort to let go of my stigma and just to it value these relationships.