are ps3/xbox live friends 'real friends' and is there an appropriate 'age difference'?

[Michael]

alright I'm eighteen and wasn't the most popular person in school so my PS3 was basically my best friend along with people I met on it. I moved house and by the time i got internet back on I never really cared too much to play these players anymore and was playing along which I was perfectly fine with, over time i kind of started to enjoy my own company.

Anyway recently i met this American dude (I'm English) who's only eleven (seven years age difference) who's really cool. He's pretty loyal and everything but I don't know if the seven year age gap means anything because obviously I've not really been around people to understand how others view this kind of friendship.

We're both male, not that that should matter but best make sure we're on the same page. See when we met we basically just clicked, we get each other and have the same sense of humor and everything.

We really do talk about things that aren't really easy to talk to, obviously not alot considering we've only known each other a few weeks but we've even talks about moving to each others countries when we're older (I always wanted to move to the US anyway). we've even started making secondary facebook pages so we can always stay in contact without compromising personal details (i really don't mind adding him to my perosnal one but I get the vibe american's are slightly more weary that British about adding people the don't know on a personal level)

He asked his mum if he could come through for christmas to see me and she said maybe which probably won't happen this year but I've briefly talked to his mother and had him say hi to his father and he'd say to his father 'say hi to michael dad' and they seem pretty nice lol.

What I'm asking is, is this a normal friendship or does it seem a little strange. please be honest and don't pity me because I really want a legit answer to put my mind at ease.

and what exactly do you consider these people because it seems a little strange to refer to them as 'friends' considering the distance we live from each other but we do refer to each other as 'long lost american brother' and vice versa lol (kinda a joke we find funny but most ppl probably won't lol but we are becoming really, really good friends.

please don't tell me to talk to someone i know personally because like I say I don't really have 'personal friends' and I don't want my family looking at me as though I'm all excited about a friend that some might in a way consider 'virtual'

thanks in advance and sorry about the long para it's just that i really want advice. thanks

[immensefrog257]

No! That is possibly one of the worst ways to look at 'friends' online.Playing CoD with him or something is cool but do not ever give hime details or ANYTHING of that sort!

[Skyler]

I consider people like that friends but I wouldn't like travel just to visit a person you only know by there voice though a game system. I have friends on Xbox like this, but I probably wouldn't travel that far to meet them. maybe if they were in the same town or something.

[Shannon]

Yes n No, I have a good friend that is 19 n I'm 15 I'd say don't visit Cuz of the 7yr age gap, but it's OK if ur friends, but it's all up 2u n don't let ppl change ur opinion do what u wanna do