Is WP the only meaningful socialization that you have?

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This thought struck me a little while ago, when I was thinking to myself about the utter lack of socialization in my life. It made me curious about the rest of you and your lives.
I mean... I have a full time job, a son, and a lot of "external" responsibilities. You'd think that I would be able to acquire at least some sort of friend. But so often, I find myself drifting through that "external" world as a ghost-like spectator, not an active participant. I'm sure that's not an uncommon experience for many people here.

It seems like many of the only meaningful conversations and interactions that I have happen here on these forums with those who share my relative experience of the world. I feel far more understood by an array of thousands of anonymous strangers on the internet than I do by most of my co-workers or family members.

I guess I'm in the Yes/sort of... camp.
How about you?

Please feel free to comment at length.
Thanks

I don't know if I'd call this meaningful socialization, hehe, but I put more effort here than I do irl.

I picked sort of because I don`t talk to many non-family members in real life. On the other hand, I just post comments and leave boards here...I wouldn`t call that meaningful socialization either.

Absolutely. My wife goes out to work, to "church" and to visit her mother and some other older folks there in a nursing home, but I have no desire to ever even leave the house and the only meaningful conversations I have with anyone other than right here on WP are either with my wife here at home or with either of two long-distance friends on the phone ... and at least one of those two friends -- they are sisters -- might soon be here on WP since she has so little interaction with anyone there where she lives.

Last edited by leejosepho on 10 May 2011, 10:30 pm, edited 3 times in total.

1. My mother (every day)
2. My ex-girlfriend (most days)
3. My sisters (every once in a while)

But WP is my primary form of interaction.

Sort of. I see my sisters and dad from time to time, I go to school 4 days a week (I'm able to have small discussions with other people but I'm not really close to anyone at school), me and my boyfriend live together. I do stuff every weekend with other people but it seems I can't really relate to them very well. You could say that WP is the place where I have my most meaningful discussions

I have meaningful conversations outside of W.P.

I suppose one reason I posted here at over a 1000 is that it's something that can't be communicated or shared with people in general.

But now I'm curious to know the attraction here for myself. I know I'm ADD , but I wonder why I feel the need to peer on this board.

There is an ADD board, but it isn't the same.

You'd think one would just fade away.

I have meaningful conversations with my AS support group, but they only meet once a month, and sometimes not even that. I also teach piano to kids, so I guess you could call that meaningful, but I wouldn't consider my students my social buddies. Even so, I do enjoy teaching and it leads to some stimulating conversation. I also have meaningful conversations with my psychologist.

I belong to other web forums (eg one for sound sensitivity). I am also married with children. I am relatively reclusive and stay-at-home, but still interact with a small group of people each week, including some Aspies I know locally.

I am in full time employment (IT), so the workplace allows for some social contact too. Although even there I tend to gravitate to the other neuro-diverse colleagues (depression, etc), or to people who share some of my special interests.

Meaningful? No. Posting for mild personal pleasure? yes.

Of course not. I still have the ADD forum.

I do value the friends I've had in my life even if I'm not that close to them.

Right now I have meaningful coversations with WP, my mother and oldest brother, so I chose sort of.

I have and read more meaningful stuff here though.

The only people in real life whom I socialize with on a day-to-day basis are my parents and younger brother, all of whom I am very close to and with whom I have meaningful conversations. I also have two friends in real life.

The reason why I spend most of my time socializing here on WrongPlanet is because my family and friends are all busy with work and/or school. As much as I like to pretend that I enjoy spending a lot of time being by myself, the truth is that I'm actually very lonely.

Sometimes.

It dpends what you mean by that. If you ask if I have friends in real life, then the answer would be 'no'. I do have a family that loves me, though. Sometimes.

For the last couple of years I have spent around 15-20 hours a week at a social club, and I also have my beach activities and acquaintances, which also averages 15-20 hours in summer so I'm fairly social.

I need a new thang