MAYBE THE INTERNET IS OUR THIRD SPACE

Navigating life after college has been a series of "let's meet up," empty coffee cups, and pictures of new places with familiar people.

- By MARGA ANCHETA

But with so many promised hangouts fulfilled and a reinvigorated love for life, I often find myself with a close-to-empty wallet.

My connection with others has recently been anchored on finding a "third space," or a space aside from home and work where we frequent to meet people. American sociologist Ray Oldenburg defined it as a social space with little to no financial barriers where people from all walks of life can make and foster connections. In my search now for a true third space, I recall my younger years when I frequented online spaces.

Growing up, I didn't go out as often with friends. It was mostly traveling from home to school and back. Instead, I spent my free time playing games like Poptropica and Neopets. It was my first taste of interacting with people online. We all wanted to play games and could do it together from the comfort of our homes. There wasn't a sense of getting to know each other deeply at the time, but it was nice to feel that I could spend hours playing with people from all over the world.