Over the past few years there has been a lot of talk about online social networks, and how they have started to replace actual face-to-face interaction. Concern has grown over whether or not the next generation will lack the ability to deal with people in the real world, where body language and voice inflection are just as important as what you say, after spending so much time interacting online.
However, the Internet has a solution for those who may be a bit shy in the real world and want some help making friends. It now sells friendship.
Putting A Price On Friendship
Rentafriend.com does exactly what it's name suggests; it allows users to "rent" friends for an hourly fee (which starts at $10 an hour, depending on what activity you and your new friend will partake in). Activities vary from having a local show a user around a new city, going to the movies, or even finding a prom date. The site does make a point to draw the line at any sort of intimate activity. These friends are platonic only.
The flip side of this arrangement is that these "friends" are making at least $10 an hour by agreeing to hang out with users. And since the site makes it's profit by charging these users a small fee to use the service, the rentable friends get to keep all of their wages. According to the site, friends can make upwards of $2000 a week if they do it full time. It seems to be a win-win for all involved; those who are a bit lonely have someone to spend time with, and the "friends" can make so cash.
Is There A Point?
But what of a downside? Sure, it's nice to make a few bucks. But by paying someone to spend time with you, could they really be considered a friend?
Ori Brafman, co-author of the book "Click: The Magic of Instant Connections," sees little point to the service. "The problem isn't Rentafriend per se, but rather what it symbolizes," he told MSNBC. "We purchase fleeting replacements because, as a society, we lack those close, meaningful bonds that are so essential."
The site does seem to be an extension of the problems creating by online social networking. By spending so much time communication with others via texts and Internet chatting, we may be losing out ability to connect with people in the real world. And now, in order to try and remedy that, the Internet will allow you to pay for something that was once second nature.
That's not to say there are no merits to the site. When moving to a new city, where the setting and people are unfamiliar, hiring someone to hang out and show you around could be a nice way to ease into the transition of being in a new place. There are also those who may suffer anxiety attacks, or other social disorders, where this service may be a more accessible way for them to get out. But, as Brafman says, it is the idea that is worrisome, and more importantly, it's increasing popularity.
In the end, rentable friends, like online social networking, cannot replace real, human connection. If the site is a solution to loneliness, it is a temporary one at best. Humans need real interaction, and genuine connections with others. An online pay site will never replace that.
Timothy Gaydos - I attended Ohio University for four years, studying Video Production and Film, earning a BA in Science and Communications from the Scripps ...
