SOCIAL
How to Make Foreign Friends Online with Ease
As an adult, making friends isn’t as easy compared to when you were a kid. You meet fewer people, while play dates and karaoke no longer excite you. You’re an adult working a 9 to 5 job with bills to pay.
But let’s be honest. It’s nice to have a friend. You have someone you can turn to for emotional support and someone who will encourage you to do your best.
Fortunately, you can still make friends regardless of your age. What makes this even better is that you can use the power of the Internet to make foreign friends online.
Meeting Someone Overseas
The Internet allows you to connect with people regardless of the distance. The question now, however, is how to make friends from other countries online.
How can you leverage the endless possibilities that the Internet offers and use it as a means for meeting someone overseas?
Here are a few ways:
Join Online Communities on Social Media
On social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit, you can join various communities related to your interests. Be part of these groups, interact with other members, and create posts of your own.
For example, if you’re interested in cuisine, there are groups on Facebook where people share their thoughts on food and restaurants from all over the world. Scroll until you land on a post that interests you. Afterwards, ask questions about it, share your insights, or write about a similar experience.
If you get a response, take it as an opportunity to continue the conversation. You can then add them as a friend on the platform and develop your connection from there. You’ll be surprised to see how one comment can go a long way.
Play Online Games
Nowadays, playing online games isn’t just for kids. It’s an activity that people of all ages can get into and enjoy.
That said, take on the challenge and try out a popular online game. Collaborate with people from different countries as you compete with other players. This way, you can bond over the shared experience.
Here are two tips if you want to give this venture a try:
First, connect to another country’s server. Next, get a headset with a microphone and connect it to your computer.
This way, you can converse with your comrades and make friends around the world.
Check out Websites that Offer Meetup Opportunities
There are a ton of apps and websites to chat with friends online. But only a few of them arrange meetups.
Look for a website that offers you the opportunity to meet offline with your online chat foreign friends. If you’re looking for a friendship turned to romance, you can avail the services of a dating website that can arrange a way for you to meet someone with shared interests.
Making Friends Around the World? Avoid Stereotypes.
Now that you know how to use the power of the Internet to meet someone foreign, you can start befriending people from various continents.
However, keep in mind that each country has its own culture. So making Asian friends is different from making Latino friends.
That said, there are some things you should avoid saying. One of those is the stereotypes about them.
Asia
When befriending oriental girls or making Asian friends, in general, avoid assuming which country in Asia they’re from. Not every Asian you meet is Chinese, Korean, or Japanese, nor do they know people who share the same surname. Doing so only annoys them and decreases your chances of being friends with them.
South American
If you’re trying to make South American or Latino friends or are trying to form a relationship with a Latina friend, avoid referring to them as exotic and fiery. They have had enough of this and don’t exactly know if they should feel flattered or insulted by the comment.
Moreover, don’t try to question the legality of their family’s business. It’s intrusive and immediately tells them that you’ve been watching too many stereotypical movies.
Europe
When it comes to befriending someone from European countries, such as Russia, don’t assume that women from their country only chase after rich men from overseas. Their women are hardworking and know how to get through life without relying on the riches of a well off foreigner.
In addition, avoid assuming that every Russian you meet is cunning like what Hollywood tells you. There are all kinds of people in the country and it’s not right to lump them into one villainous stereotype.
Making Foreign Friends? Make an Effort.
Making friends, especially from other countries, requires you to make an effort. However, you don’t have to make extravagant gestures. You can keep it simple and show them that you care about having them as your company.
Here are some ways that you can do this:
Learn their Language
Language helps people connect. So learning a language to befriend someone foreign means that you’re taking the time to understand them and share their view.
You don’t have to be fluent right off the bat. Start by learning some basic words and everyday phrases. You can even ask them to help you out. With their help as a local, you’ll be able to see more progress in your language. But more importantly, you’ll be able to form a closer bond with them.
Find Points of Shared Interests
It’s nice that you got to know someone because of having the same hobby. But don’t just stop there.
Find another shared interest. This way, you’ll have a never-ending list of topics to talk about rather than only having one.
In case you can’t find one, make one. Talk to them about the things you’re interested in and ask their opinion on it. If it’s their first time coming across the topic, take it as an opportunity to share new information with them and bring up deeper conversations.
Offer Help and Support
The word friend in Ukrainian means comrade. Meanwhile, the most common word for friend in Russian is used to refer to someone whom you can rely on for help and support.
That said, be a source of strength for someone you want to befriend. Sympathize with them and be with them in their time of need. This doesn’t translate to offering them a solution to their problem. Instead, this means that you should at least lend them a listening ear.
Build Lasting Connections Online
Through the Internet, making friends as an adult has become easier. Moreover, because of its reach, it allows you to connect with people from various countries and make foreign friends.
You just have to know how to leverage the Internet’s power to find them. Once you do, remember to avoid the stereotypes perpetuated by movies. Instead, make an effort to connect with them on a deeper level.
