How does a friendship that lives mostly online compare to one you keep up in person?

A natural way to answer

I think online friendships are surprisingly deep because you talk so often, but they can lack the texture of being physically present. In person, you pick up on tone and body language, and you build memories that stand the test of time in a different way.

Key phrases to use

• face to face — in person, with both people physically present rather than online or by phone“Some things are better said face to face.”
• trust with my life — to trust someone completely, in even the most serious matters“He's the one friend I'd trust with my life.”
• stand the test of time — to remain strong, valuable, or true over a long period“Their friendship has stood the test of time.”
• bare your soul — to share your deepest, most private feelings with someone“It's rare to find someone you can bare your soul to.”
• straddle both worlds — to exist in or belong to two different worlds or ways of life at once“The best friendships straddle both worlds, online and off.”