What is a friend vs an acquaintance ?

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Especially in the context of online interaction. How would one define the difference? For me Facebook blurs the issue every contact is labelled a ‘friend’ and yet the strength of the relationship varies from contact to contact . Some people you have met in real life others only online.

I have people I get on with , but to me it needs something more than that to classify them as friends although they may be good people that I like and respect.

I think that you are taking the label "friend" on Facebook too literally. "Friend" status on Facebook doesn't literally make you a friend.

I view a friend as somebody I trust who I can share personal things with where an acquaintance is more like somebody I know who I may have a pleasant enough relationship with but I still wouldn't trust them enough to share things about my personal life.

Facebook has definitely blurred the language. I'm starting to really enjoy my acquaintances lately for what they are. Life has taken a fleet enema on me in a way that acquaintances are really more helpful than friends and also more effective in restoring my faith in humanity.

An acquaintance is someone who recognizes you, shows compassion when you need someone to talk to, has an interest in common or is at least interested in what you have to say, and has no expectations of you to provide them with favours (loans of money, let them move into your house, give you the shirt off your back, etc.)

A friend is someone you can call up at 3 AM in tears from the airport after getting beat up and having everything you own, including your ID stolen, and before they even pick up the phone you know everything's going to be okay.

I don't have one of those. That's okay. You can usually count the friends you get in a lifetime on the fingers of one hand.

A friend is someone you trust.

A friend sticks by you in hard times and shares your joy in good times. If either isn't present, they aren't a true friend. Also, they stick by you when things are mundane and ordinary, not one extreme or the other.

An acquaintance is simply a person you know or have just met, a step above a stranger.

And I really don't consider family to be the same thing as a friend.

Family is in your life because they feel obligated to be and Friends choose to be in your life because they like you and accept you for who you are.