You never know, about meeting people from other countries that you've chatted with. When I was about your age (along about the end of the last Ice Age) I had several pen pals in the UK. The summer I was 20 I made the trip over there and met all of them. We had some excellent times! I had experiences I would never have had as an unconnected tourist -- walking from Ludlow to Auchtermuchty one beautiful day because the bus didn't stop for us, eating at a café in Bognor Regis with the staff, because my pen pal worked there (the owner called me "California," and got the biggest kick out of hollering for me to pick up my meal at the service window), and going to a number of parties in everything from bed-sits to country homes.

You never know when having friends in another country will come in handy. Besides, just because it seems unlikely that you'll ever meet is no reason not to have those contacts -- many firm and lifelong friendships have been conducted entirely in correspondence. Just remind your Mum there's historical precedence for "chatting with people you'll never meet."

Well said! I agree with you...thing is my mum doesn't mind me having contacts around the world, she just thinks I have too many and that I should stop 'sending things to them' (ie swaps, sales, switch witches etc) and that I communicate more to them on forums and email and lj than actually talking to my real friends and domestic contacts (which isn't true! Although my RL social life leaves much to be desired...that's another story though.)