text: Students who use distance learning can lose their social skills attained during public and private schools. Students go to school for their education, but there is also a social aspect with peers all around them. Social skills are taught through a student's individual self when placed in a social environment. Social skills can be beneficial to an individual's future because they are needed in almost any career. When students are older, social skills are used to gain a career because an individual must be able to have basic conversations and be social with customers, clients, patients, and other employees. Distance learning can take away social skills since it is also taking away the social aspect of school. Students who are distance learning lose the ability to communicate with unknown peers and solely rely on the internet for learning. School is also a way for students to create long lasting friendships when going to school. If social skills are not learned, it is much harder for students to create friendships. Although some people believe that friendships are not needed in life, but being able to have a friend who can be there to help during hard times can help an individual significantly. When I am struggling, not only with school, but with other personal issues, friends are a very good option to go to. With distance learning, students will lose the opportunity to obtain friendships and could lose their social skills.