How to Overcome Shyness Using the Internet

Member

By sunnflr
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating:

(4 Ratings)

Computer

There is nothing wrong with being shy. Not everyone is outgoing and loves meeting new people. But if you’ve been shy your whole life and want to change, then the Internet is a good place to start improving your social skills. There are many places for adults to talk and exchange views online. Use the Internet to your advantage in overcoming shyness.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Internet
Time
Phone
Car

Step 1

Put up a profile with interesting information about yourself and people will seek you out. It’s much easier to talk to others online than it is face to face. Put yourself out there for people to get to know. Let your personality show though and you’ll make all kinds of friends.
Step 2

Join chat rooms and discussion groups on the Internet. Chat rooms are usually divided by specific categories so you can pick things that match your interest. Talking to people about things you are interested in or know a lot about is easier than talking about new things. Once you’ve gotten used to chat rooms branch out into new categories. You may find that you like things you never dreamed would interest you.
Step 3

Call Internet friends on the phone

Call your Internet friends on the phone. Once you’ve been talking for a while take the next step and exchange phone numbers. Going from talking in chat rooms and discussion groups to talking on the phone will be easy because you already know so much about each other. There will still be some awkwardness but it should go away easily. Go over things you’ve talked about previously at first to break the ice and then other things will follow naturally.
Step 4

Meet Internet friends in person

Take the friendship one step farther by meeting in person. It can be intimidating thinking of meeting Internet friends in person but it’s usually quite fun. Take your time getting to know the person before meeting and everything should go wonderfully. After talking online and then on the phone you should know enough about each other to know if it’s a good fit. You’ll have things in common and already love sharing ideas so meeting in person will just seem like the next logical step.
Step 5

Bring your newfound confidence into the real world. You should find yourself more open with people in the “real” world after becoming a confident Internet user. You’ll be so used to talking to people and sharing your opinion that it will become second nature and you’ll do it at work or in the grocery store. It will be easy to make new friends once you get started!

Comments

JamesClarkso said

Flag This Comment

on 11/28/2008 I am awful uncomfortable being in social situations and unable to communicate effectively. Anyone respond to a person in need at James.Clarkson@insightbb.com.