Is it haram for me to have online friends who are men?

Assalamu alaikum. I’ve been feeling so alone lately, and making friends in real life is tough for me. So I turned to the internet and ended up with some guy friends. I thought it’d be okay if I set clear limits, you know? But now I’m not sure 😭 Some of them acted weird, and I had to block them when things got uncomfortable. Then my mother found out and said it’s haram for me to be friends with any guys at all. I’m just really confused. And please, no one send me messages asking to be friends – I’m only looking for advice. Jazakum Allahu khairan.