7 Tips for Making Friends Online

Tip #1. Look for people who share your interests. Friends tend to share common interests, so we suggest that you look for people who you have something in common with. There are quite a lot of websites where you can make friends. Start with general interest websites such as Facebook, Twitter, LiveJournal, or Tumblr. If you have a particular interest in mind, you can join forums dedicated solely to it.

Tip #2. Join groups. Many social networking sites have groups and communities targeted to people who share a common interest. If you join such groups, you can participate in discussions and eventually make friends with group members. It might be easier for you to join a discussion instead of approaching people one on one.

Tip #3. Use dating sites. Surely, most dating sites focus on romantic relationships, but there is a number of “platonic dating sites” devoted to friendships only such as Girlfriend Social, SocialJane, GirlFriendsCircles, Meetup, Yelp, DailyMile, My Social Passport, Life Knot, etc. You can use regular dating sites for finding friends as well, but you need to be ready that most people there aren't looking for just a friend.

Tip #4. Play online games. Lots of online games include chat and require collaboration. People who help each other out in games tend to bond over shared adventures. Besides, many games have online communities where users can share their experience and exchange tips.

Tip #5. Be friendly. Well, this one is obvious. If you want to make friends online, you should be friendly with other users and treat them the way you want to be treated. When you join an online community, you need to contribute by sharing content or at least making intelligent comments. Be respectful and kind, and other users will like you.

Tip #6. Don't be creepy. Some people need time to get along with other users. If you like someone and want to be friends with them, you shouldn't be obtrusive and bombard them with messages. Give them time to start feeling more relaxed in your company and open up. And stalking is a no-no, we hope there is not need to explain this one.

Tip #7. Be careful. On the Internet, people can be whoever they want. You shouldn't trust your online friends unconditionally. Be careful about sharing personal information. A lot of people find it easier to open up to their online friends, but you should always remember that safety comes first. If you have a suspicion that you are being catfished, bow out.