How to Make New Friends Online

For us millennials and Gen Z kids, our very first introduction to social media were Friendster. We were then exposed to the likes of MySpace and Orkut, and eventually Facebook. After Facebook, there was a huge surge in the creation and spread of social networking sites on the internet. Everyone wanted a piece of this delicious, moneymaking pie, and they did. Now we have countless social networking sites and apps such as Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, YouTube, NEEO messenger, and more. Most of these apps and sites include a Free Chat Messenger service. These apps and sites have changed the way we communicate with each other, be it our peers, our friends, our loved ones, or our target audiences, and here’s the best part: they have made it insanely easier for us to make new friends online. So, here are a few tips on how to find and make new friends online.

Find Niche Communities

A great place to find like-minded people online, whom you think you can be friends with, is through communities that harbor the same interests as you. These communities can be found on Facebook in the form of groups, on Reddit in the form of subreddits, on Instagram and Twitter in the form of closed group chats, and more. The internet is a limitless vessel. Explore, look around, and you will most certainly find your people.

Look For What You Like

Once you’re a part of the community, start looking through the content posted in these communities. See what makes you laugh, what makes you tick. If you see someone you like online, someone who has the same interests as you, message them. Don’t think too much, just do it. Worst comes to worst, they won’t respond. But if they do, you will have the beginning of a beautiful new friendship!

Select the Perfect Time

A great way to figure out how to message the said person is by checking out their social media profiles. Try to find out where they live, if they are in the same time-zone as you, etc. Make sure you message them when they aren’t sleeping or busy or working. You can find this out by checking their socials – everyone nowadays posts every single thing they do online. So, it shouldn’t be too hard.

Break the Ice

Start with a simple compliment like, "Hi! I saw your post in XYZ group, and thought it was hilarious". People love being complimented, so, chances are, they will respond with a thank you, and compliment you something you posted as well. Then the onus of taking the conversation forward will be on you. This will be easy to do since you already know their likes and interests because you are a part of the same online community as them.

Bond over your Common Interests

Once you have broken the ice, try to bond with them over your common interests. For example, if you have found this person in a Star Wars related Facebook group, ask them what their favorite Star Wars film was. If their favorite film is the same as yours, share what you loved about the film, and ask them their opinion, too. If their favorite film is different from your favorite film, then that will spark a healthy debate between the two of you, and give you a reason to keep on talking.

Talk about Personal Things

When you think you have bonded with the person sufficiently over your common interests, then move on to topics of personal nature. Food is a good place to start, everyone loves food, and while the topic is personal, it is not too intrusive. So, ask them what their favorite food is, share what your favorite food is, and more. Once you build familiarity and you think the other person trusts you, maybe you can ask them out for food at one of their favorite food places. If they are in a different place than you, maybe you can arrange for a meeting over one of the many Free Chat Messenger service offered by Whatsapp, Zoom, Skype, NEEO messenger, or more.

When all is said and done, and if you have played your cards correctly, by the end of two, or maybe three conversations, you will have a new friend! In the time that we currently exist in, social media has become a tool for emotional and mental support. It has also brought a global community together, focusing on sharing news, information, and generally looking after one another. So, use social media for the better, and make friends worldwide!