I think this is a generational and medium thing. We clearly have different definitions of "Online".

I'm guessing your online communication is done via something that uses pictures and videos like Instagram or Snapchat?

My main communication to my friends has been text-based chat for over 20 years, and I do have real and honest communication with them. When we meet physically, we continue where we left off online. Even if people have changed hairstyles, gained/lost weight etc. I wouldn't know, we don't share pictures or videos of each other regularly.

I think the other comment identified a mismatch there; I should have been more clear—by “online” I meant in video games and over Discord. Which is to say, individual conversations. If by online you mean something like Instagram or Facebook or other platforms broadcast out to the world, yeah, that can be a bit pretentious and fake.