Are online friendships as good as normal friendships?

The internet is such a beautiful thing, right? It is a platform which helps us to increase our knowledge and simultaneously, sit at home and meet new people; learn their cultures and get connected. Over the course of this connection, people tend to become ''internet friends".
Online friendships comes with a few drawbacks unlike the normal friendships we have. While in normal friendships we get to meet up with our friends and more importantly the face-to-face interaction is there which helps the relationship to grow. In online friendships, you don't have the luxury of constantly meeting your friend but with the advancement of technology there are apps which help you to video call. Though this is a very good way of keeping in touch with your internet friends but until you meet them, they will always be regarded as your secondary friends.
Through personal experience of having had a ton of online friends, I can say that it's not easy to keep up the pace with your internet friends than with your normal ones. It's hard because no matter how hard you try, you're bound to have a bridge separating you from your online friends.
Let me share with you a story of my own. I had a friend from Russia, let's say her name was Nat. Nat and I met through one of the social media apps and over the course of time, we bonded well. We started talking about everything a normal friendship talks about. We became so close that we talked daily and even had phone conversations via WhatsApp Call. All of a sudden, we hardly talked due to our respective busy life schedules. Before I end my story, I'd like to state that while we grow, we do realise one thing and that is, more normal friends who will physically be there than some people you've met over the internet. That's exactly what happened with Nat and me though I never ever wanted to break the friendship. According to her, a realisation hit her that she needed more real friends than online ones. Ever since that day, I keep asking myself"Aren't online friends real friends too*? IMO, yes they are. It will only work when both believe that it will work. Show each other that it's important to each other. Help each other in making important decisions. Being there for one other. I won't say I didn't do everything with Nat. I did. Maybe I wasn't to the level she wanted.
There have been many Nat's in my life who have raised the question "Are online friends worth it?". Thoughts have crept but I've been positive and kept making new online friends and hoping the next one doesn't turn out to be a "Nat". I've learnt from my previous mistakes. Mistakes like not always texting them. Giving them space. Touchwood, till now it's worked. I'm just hoping the current crop of online friends that I have will be the ones whom I get to meet in the near future and prove to them that online friendships can turn out to be great.
If you ever feel discouraged and have second thoughts about online friendships, throw it out of the window. Have a positive mindset. Get talking, not too much tho. Limit yourself from texting them everyday. Give them some space for talking to their normal friends. Make that improbable trip to their place of stay. And once you meet them, trust me, you'll not have to worry about the friendship being in jeopardy.