Hey! I guess I’m your resident expert on online friendships in the Bloggerverse (Okay, I might have made that up), and I’m pretty sure I’m good at this because I’ve made some really great friends through social media. And because we’re exploring friendships throughout this month, and online friends are very much real, I thought I’d write a kinda’-sorta’ guide for you all.
Now, granted, online friendships work best for me because,
A. I’m a blogger and I have to connect with a lot of you readers online, and I love doing that,
B. Being in long-distance friendships is hard and I kinda’ have to maintain my friendships using the powerful tool that is social media.
And before you tell me that it’s not cool, let me make it clear that I’ve met my online friends in person and we share a very strong bond.
It was completely unexpected of course, but apart from a very tiny list of people, I don’t think I’ve ever resonated so much with a better bunch of people offline, the way I have in my online friendships. And that is pretty amazing. There are certain things that we need to watch out for, but we’ll get to that too!
1. Be yourself. Don’t fake it.
The first and most important rules. Just because the people you’ve made friends with online have a much more ‘happening‘ life than you do, doesn’t mean that you should fake the details of your real life. Be 100% yourself. It’s just one of those things in life where faking it will not help you make it.
2. Take your time getting to know each other.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry. And we live in 2019, which means that you just might end up being on MTV’s Catfish, so go with what your gut tells you and only let the people you resonate with. That being said, try giving them a chance before you make up your mind because first impressions aren’t always reliable.
3. Treat your online friends the way you’d treat your friends offline.
They are actual people even if you haven’t really met them yet. And everyone deserves to be treated with some level of civility, so unless it is absolutely necessary for you to be a little harsh, don’t be cold or rude because that’s just unnecessary and ill-mannered. Just be a nice person, it costs nothing.
4. Don’t be too quick and harsh to judge.
I get it. You might not be looking for new friends. And you probably don’t want to respond to all those ‘Hey, do you want to be friends?‘ DM or the people who always seem to leave supportive comments under all of your posts. But there’s no need to be nasty about it unless they’re crossing a line. Best case scenario, you’ll make a very good friend, and how is that bad?
5. Research always helps.
Listen, unless there is a very good reason, an empty social media can be a red flag and be a possible bad sign. So doing a bit of research on social media, checking their Instagram is always a good idea to know them a little bit better before deciding if they are shady or not. Just don’t be incredibly creepy about it, and ask them directly but politely if you want to know something.
6. You do have the right to talk over a phone or video call.
With online friendships, you don’t have to worry about wanting to have a conversation over phone or video call. It’s an important step in making sure that you’re not being catfished. So, no. You’re not being pushy or clingy if you want to hear your online friend’s voice or see their face over a video call. But don’t be creepy about it.
Honestly, I love the friends that I’ve made online. Call me lucky or whatever, but I did totally hit a jackpot in that department because I have the best people in my life via online friendships. I am definitely going to write a part 2 to this post because there is still so much area to cover, but I hope you find this informative.
Cheerio! Xx
Hey guys! I hope you liked this post. Leave a comment if you did, and share with people you think might need to read this today. You can also reach out and say ‘Hi’ on Twitter and Instagram. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.
Yours truly,
The Shubhster.
The Shubhster Diaries 
❤️❤️❤️❤️
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