I'm not a very outgoing person, and I rarely attend any social functions -- unless invited to do so by family members. Still, I wouldn't exactly characterize myself as a wallflower or anything like that. I have no problem responding to people who talk to me. I'm just not comfortable making the first move, which is probably why I haven't made a new friend in years. I'm not happy like this, and don't want to continue being lonely unnecessarily. So I've decided to try to make friends online.
It seems like it would be easy to make friends online, especially since there are so many chat rooms and singles sites out there. But I'm not looking for romance, which is what most of those places are geared towards. I just want to end up with a few good pals with whom I can exchange emails, talk about the latest movies, and maybe eventually confide in. And if the person lives within driving distance, maybe in good time I could even meet him or her face-to-face for lunch or cocktails. The big thing is to find some quality places to make friends online and go from there.
I don't hang out on the Internet very much, so this could take a bit of work. I don't play video games or frequent any forums, which I know are two very popular ways to make friends online. But since I do enjoy reading, perhaps there's a virtual book club that I can join. I know that finding people with common interests is a proven way to develop friendships, so this is definitely on my list of ways to make friends online.
Another idea for those who want to make friends online is to join a social networking website like Facebook, MySpace, or even Twitter. Most people think those sites are for people who already have tons of names on their buddy lists, not for folks looking for new acquaintances. But those social networking sites are very versatile and can be used no matter what your goals are. Even though I don't know anyone else on Facebook, I can start by joining a group (such as my school's alumni association) or a fan page for a favorite actor or athlete. From there, I can browse through the profiles of other members and start sending friend requests to people who seem promising.
If those ideas fail, I'll probably fall back on the more traditional chat rooms and message boards that I wanted to stay away from -- but I'm hoping it won't come to that. I have a feeling that I'll be able to make friends online from the other options I listed, and that I'll feel more fulfilled after I let new people into my life!