How to Meet Your Chat Friends
After months or even years chatting with someone online, you're ready to make the transition to a real life friendship. While safety issues were a big concern in past years, it is becoming more common to meet chat friends in person. However, meeting your online buddies in real life can completely change the dynamic of the relationship. To ease this transition and avoid awkward moments of silence, follow a few steps to take your friendship to the next level.
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Instructions
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Establish that both you and your chat friend are interested in meeting in person. If one feels pressured, then perhaps meeting isn't such a good idea. Evaluate whether your intentions are purely platonic or if you're expecting something more.
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Consider talking with your chat friend on the phone before scheduling a face-to-face meeting. An even more direct approach is to set up a webcam chat, if you haven't already. Hearing someone's voice, and especially gauging the person's body language, will help you determine if you will have compatibility in person.
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Set up a meeting place and time. If you live in the same town, this step is an easy one. However, if you are meeting a long distance chat friend, determine a time when one of you will be near the other one's hometown for business or vacation. Planning a trip with the sole focus of meeting one another may create a lot of pressure.
Select a location that is neutral and public. A coffee shop or restaurant is better choice than a secluded park, for example. Even though you feel certain your chat friend is not a serial killer, it's always better to be safe than sorry.
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Relax and be yourself. It may sound like a cliche, but your relationship thus far has allowed you to hide behind the safety of your computer monitor. The two of you should have plenty to talk about, but chatting in person can be very different than chatting online. Some people express themselves better in writing, and online chatting provides the chance to ponder your thoughts before hitting "return." Also, body language is a huge part of communication, and this element is absent from the internet with only text messages.
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Determine whether you want to continue your friendship in person or leave it online. You may find you like your chat friend even more than you expected, or you may find yourself disappointed. It's difficult to avoid hurting your chat buddy's feelings, but not everyone is compatible in the real world.
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Tips & Warnings
Get to know your chat friend as much as possible online before scheduling a meeting in person. You'll be more comfortable, and you'll have more to discuss.
If you feel you aren't ready to take this relationship into real life, it's OK to say no or wait until you are more comfortable.
Bring a friend with you if you have any doubts whatsoever.
Always meet in a very public place.
Until you are comfortable with your chat friend in person, don't share details such as your address or other private information.
References
- Photo Credit typing girl image by Andrey Kiselev from Fotolia.com
