Transforming digital friendships into real ones

Social media has made it easier than ever to form connections with people. And there are ways to build genuine connections through social media and transform them into blossoming friendships in the real world. Amidst the sea of likes, comments and fleeting interaction, there lies the possibility of finding people who have the potential to be crucial parts of your life. So, let's explore the process of cultivating authentic relationships from social media.

Know where to look

This is perhaps the most crucial element of making friends online. The digital world can be very dangerous sometimes as it is filled with people who may be nothing like what they are appearing or should we say pretending to be online. A good place to seek authentic interactions will be online forums filled with people who share the same interests as you. In Bangladesh's context, this comes in the form of Facebook groups and there is literally a group for everything

Whether you are an animal lover or a coffee aficionado, a dessert connoisseur or a die-hard fan of football, an avid photographer or even an action figure collector, you will find groups specifically made for people who share the same passion as you.

This is not just a much safer place to potentially make real-life friends but also a platform where you can have fun engaging with people as you already have a lot of common ground/topics to discuss.

Now, obviously safety is not guaranteed everywhere and as much as helping you make friends is a priority, so is your safety which is where the next steps will come in handy.

Make your presence known

After picking out forums that cater to your hobbies, you can start engaging regularly with fellow members. This can be in the form of posting regular content in the group or even commenting on other peoples' content. Do not shy away from posting your opinions and sharing your insights. Don't hesitate to engage in healthy debates because you never know how many people share the same sentiments. Making your presence known would be an incredible foundation to help build connections.

This will also enable other people looking to form connections to reach out to you which makes your job a thousand times easier.

Attend real life meet-ups (Or, organise them)

Most of these groups organise various meetups throughout the year and this is a very solid way to take your connections online to a new level. Try attending some of these events as this gives you a chance to befriend the people you have been only interacting with online.

It is very refreshing to put faces to the digital avatars and this will also give you a chance to see how your online friends are in real life and get a better understanding of them. And it goes without saying that public meet-ups are obviously much safer than meeting people individually.

We would also encourage you to take initiatives and set these events up yourself as that will also strengthen your presence in the group and make it easier for you to seek out friendships as people would want to engage with you.

Let your friendships blossom

Now that you have a better feel of whom you would want to strengthen your friendships with, you can build on them. Again, for safety concerns, you can do some additional research on them. Pick up on previous interactions and get to know your new friends better. Make separate plans with them which will allow your bonds to get stronger.

You have already put in the work to single out the individuals whom you want to be better acquainted with. Now, it is time to see whether or not you can actually be friends with them.