Young consumers have grown up in a time when digital connections are as easy (or easier) to make as in person friendships, and a Ypulse monthly survey found that 20% of 13-32-year-olds say an online-only relationship is just as meaningful as an in-person relationship.

Young consumers have grown up in a time when digital connections are as easy (or easier) to make as in person friendships, and a Ypulse monthly survey found that 20% of 13-32-year-olds say an online-only relationship is just as meaningful as an in-person relationship. But the debate around the benefits and dangers of online relationships continues, as evidenced by the New York Times’ recent “Digital Friendships” series. While some argue that digital interactions are “too easy,” one Millennial blogger writes that time spent communicating with others online has “actually enriched [her] unplugged life” and that the web helps remove hurdles in making IRL friends. (New York Times)