As a volunteer online friend, you commit to the role for a minimum of 3-6 months.

At least in the beginning, you may need to take more initiative to sustain the friendship. It’s essential to be prepared for this responsibility before committing, as a friendship ending prematurely at the volunteer's initiative can be a challenging experience for the client. After 3-6 months, you and your online friend can discuss whether you wish to continue staying in touch. You might ask your friend how the experience has been for them and whether they feel the friendship is still valuable or meaningful. It’s also a good idea for the volunteer to consider whether this form of interaction or this particular friendship is a good fit for them. There is no maximum duration for online friendships, and many of our pairs have continued their connections for years.

If it seems that the friendship is not benefiting either party or feels overwhelming, it is possible to end it before the 3-6 month period.

The most common reasons for ending a friendship include:

• The friendship has not deepened, and both partners feel that their interests or "chemistry" do not align.
• The client’s life situation has changed, and they no longer feel the need for an online friend.
• The client’s circumstances have become so overwhelming that they lack the energy to maintain the online friendship.
• The volunteer’s own situation has changed, and they are no longer able to continue as an online friend.
• The volunteer finds the online friendship too demanding.

Regardless of the reason for ending the friendship, it is always important to notify the online friend matchmaking service. If you find it difficult to discuss ending the friendship directly with your friend, you may ask the service to inform them on your behalf. The service will also ask both you and your friend if you would like to start a new online friendship. You can contact the service by email at: verkkoystava@redcross.fi. Please also respond to the anonymous survey to help us understand the reasons behind the ending of online friendships.