“The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway.”
~ Henry Boye
Is your social life as bland as non-flavoured oatmeal? Are you unsure if making friends online is the thing for you?
We all want someone’s shoulder to cry on and someone to enjoy mimosas with on a weekday when your job feels horrible and you’re just not yourself. We get it. But we are trying so hard to find someone who’s perfect, either as a friend or a partner everywhere that we forget of the range of avenues available.
Hint: best online dating sites.
We know what you’re thinking; “Dating sites are weird corners of the internet, how on earth will I find someone who gets my Harry Potter references and is a bigger foodie than me?”
Let us introduce you to MatchTubeX, a site dedicated to helping the right people meet their other halves and finding friendships that last. They can help you find your “people” if you are willing to take a leap of faith.
Are you ready? Let’s learn how to do this right!
Keep an open mind
This is the most important characteristic that you need to have in order to successfully find friends online. You will come across people that are gender-fluid, have different sexualities than what has been your experience, different ideas about the world and this can be surprising. Keeping an open mind and your judgement meter to a low will help your find the right people. Some might consider this an alarming factor, but you have a big chance to meet people from diverse backgrounds and maybe discover more about yourself too!
Respect their Privacy
The world of online relationships can make people feel insecure as it is, don’t make it worse by coming on too strong. There are better ways to find out more about the person on the other side of the screen than asking too many questions. Discuss general subjects like music (avoid criticism, even if they love Justin Bieber, even then), food they enjoy and tell them a bit about yourself along the way. Mutual interests are the key to making new friends.
Ditch the Needy
Don’t ask them to “give you time” or ask huge favors right off the bat. Don’t ask to be their date
to a wedding. Putting them in an awkward position is a sure-fire way to make them avoid you. You can bring up your issue with them as friends and if they offer help, great. If not, leave it be.
Don’t get too personal
Just because they seem like your friend soul mate doesn’t mean you go about adding them on all social media and asking for their number. Don’t press them to meet you too soon. Not everyone is comfortable meeting people offline right away. Don’t pretend to be their besties overnight, that is just plain creepy! Creepiness is a two-way street. Don’t tell them about your first heart break in middle school right away or that your long distance aunt is at her third marriage. Restrain thyself.
Instead, ask them to a concert of the band they like or a Cosplay Convention. Don’t push it if they decline. Appear chill and friendly not over-eager and creepy.
Good Luck!