I wouldn't call the people here friends per se, but that's maybe because i consider friendship something more profound than "hey, we talk or share opinions from time to time, now we're friends!". My best friend irl (and maybe my one true friend outside the people i love, my family), and I, share a history since 2019, and i'm not talking only hangin out, we studied many classes together and did many asignatures together, and also shared many good and bad experiences, he stood alongside me, not only because my good qualities, but because my bad qualities too, friendship isn't just showing a good side to someone else, but being honest yourself, if what you sincerely share is good or bad, then maybe they will just only distance themselves, and that's it, but he stayed, and helped me in how to understand other people as well.
I tend to not call anyone in any social media, forum, etc. friend because here while i'm being honest in everything i share or make an opinion in, others might just lie, and many times, virtual empathy doesn't mean anything to me, because i just see anything coming from a monitor as just regular human interaction, but not personal or profound, when i see it as personal is only if i interacted with the people behind the monitor in any meaningful way, which can be also in the web don't misunderstand me, but real life experiences alongside others is better for me to interact and judge the character of my peers and fellow men or women.
