It is easier than ever to make new friends in Sydney now in the modern age, with so many different platforms providing opportunities to meet new people.
This can be done through dating apps such as Tinder or Bumble, meetup groups where you can meet with like-minded people who share the same interests and hobbies as you and even Internet forums where connections can be made and later turn into real-life meetings. However, when trying to make new friends in Sydney now that in real life after just seeing a picture on a screen with texts to communicate, it can get awkward quickly. And it may seem a little nerve-racking in the first place to make the leap to meeting in real life.
If you are one of those people who isn’t quite sure how to act when meeting online friends for the first time in real life, then here are some tips to make the encounter that little bit less awkward than it has to be.
Meet in public or in a group setting
When meeting online friends, you do not really know who they are behind the screen. For this reason, it is important you meet in a public setting for the first time to see if they are who they say they are, as safety is paramount first and foremost. Meeting in a public setting can also make it less awkward in general as being in public gives you things to talk about and distract yourself from the awkwardness. You will also have opportunities to go and do activities with your online friends in a public setting such as getting something to eat or going to a bar etc. Meeting online friends in a group setting with other people can make it less awkward as you have more conversational topics with other people as well as other people to meet them, which can make the whole encounter a lot smoother.
Don’t miss a chance
If you are naturally introverted, it can be normal for you to miss chances when it comes to social interaction as it may be outside of your comfort zone.
Whilst there is nothing wrong with this, it is also important that you do have some form of social interaction with online friends and there is no better way to do this than meeting in real life. You will likely have opportunities to meet online friends in real life, and it is important you do not miss all of these chances as they can pave the way for better connections to happen.
Missing these chances can mean missing out on opportunities you may not get again with online friends, so it is important that you actively take up these opportunities to form more meaningful and well-rounded friendships.
Act like you are extroverted
Even if you are an introvert, it is sometimes good to act more extroverted as it can give you more confidence in your speaking and social interactions, as well as make it much easier for others to be comfortable and open around you.
Having an introverted approach to meeting online friends in real life can make the encounter awkward and make you seem a bit closed off.
Acting extroverted can help the situation significantly, and can also help to make you be actually more extroverted in general.
In summary, meeting online friends in real life can often be awkward; however it can be made more comfortable by following the tips above. It is important to have social interactions with them as it can form more meaningful relationships and connections.
