Why it’s hard to make real friends online?
Making friends can be challenging, whether you’re online or IRL at school. Many people use a variety of strategies to make friends - utilizing hobbies or music to create a bond - or other interests to spark a connection.
Making friends can be challenging, whether you’re online or IRL at school. Many people use a variety of strategies to make friends - utilizing hobbies or music to create a bond - or other interests to spark a connection.
Here are some reasons on why you might have difficulty finding friends online, and some steps you can take to stay safe.
Spending more time on screens = less time for offline friends
Balance is key in life. When you make more friends online, it can be difficult to stay present for your IRL friends. Building friendships both online and offline can really help diversify your interests and social experiences, but make sure you track your screen time and regularly check-in with friends on and offline.
Tone and context can get lost in text communication
While miscommunication definitely happens in real life, when you connect online new issues may arise. For example, you may not be able to see each other’s facial reactions and miss that they’re joking. Or you or your friend may skim each other’s text-based messages, missing key info or tone hints, which can lead to frustration or confusion.
You never really know who’s “behind the screen”
You may be stoked to have started talking with someone you found online with a similar interest, but until you meet someone face-to-face (and even meet some of their IRL friends/family to vouch for them!), they may not match the online persona you’ve gotten to know.
Keep an eye out for bad-actors by watching out for signs like being pushy to meet up or video chat excessively, asking for your location, requesting inappropriate photos, wanting to keep your friendship ‘secret’, etc. All of these requests can be ripe for scary things to happen. Stay safe by exercising caution!
Online friends may not be there for you when you need ‘em
With IRL friendships, you can more easily catch-up on the fly and literally see when friends are free to wander the halls of school or hang out. When it comes to online friends, you may have to wait to get a response or wonder why they’ve disappeared for any period of time.
Tips For Staying Safe Online
If you see something, say something. Talking to a trusted adult and taking screenshots (if someone does anything creepy or weird) helps. Text Crime Stoppers or Crisis Text Line @ 741741
Be careful when connecting with people outside of the platform you originally met them on. You never know if these people are really who they say they are. If you do meet up, we really recommend bringing a parent or trusted adult.
Email us with any questions or concerns at info@bluefever.com. We’re here to share resources and provide you with information on how to stay safe in our community.