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5 Ways to Find Friends Online (And Not Be Weird)

A group who learned how to find friends online laughing and eating together outside.

It’s hard to make friends, especially as an adult person. We wake up, go to work, either remotely or in person, come home and have a million things on our plates. Between working out, making dinner at home to save money, maintaining a semblance of a social life, trying to maybe meet someone we can date, most of us are strapped for time, not to mention energy.

But sometimes, when you have a minute or two to ponder your current life, you may realize that your friendships are somewhat lacking. And, just like dating, it may be difficult to meet people you can be friends with. Besides colleagues and coworkers, which aren’t always the best pool of people to be close to outside of the office, how do adults make friends these days?

The truth is, you can find friends online without it being a super weird thing. There are plenty of ways to do it. Let’s start.

Use Twitter.
Though it’s true that social media, Twitter included, is drastically different now than it once was, it’s still a really good way to make a genuine connection with someone. The key, however, is honing in on your community.

On Twitter, there are hashtags you can follow to find, for example, other fans of Taylor Swift’s music, or people who are eagerly awaiting the next episode of The Magicians. In some ways, it’s even easier to find like-minded people on social media than it is on real life because you know everyone’s opinions on the things that matter to you. Music and movies are relatively inconsequential examples, but you can also use social media to find friends that align with your political causes and passions.

How do you actually become friends with these people who are tweeting about the stuff you love? Simply reply to them. It’s a fine line, you don’t want to come across too eager, but by interacting slowly with a group of people’s tweets, there’s a good chance you’ll all end up connecting down the line. 

Use Instagram.
Similar to Twitter, you can search hashtags on Instagram to find what you’re looking for. Even more focused than Twitter, using Instagram, you can also search by location. Now, you don’t want to click on the “Seattle, WA” location setting and start randomly talking to everyone within your city because that would be a bit intrusive (and tedious). But are you a writer in Seattle, Washington? Great! It’s going to be easier for you to seek out other singles in Seattle and follow their (public) accounts and potentially build a rapport. In turn, you can “brand” yourself to be a bit more focused if you know for sure you’d like to connect to other writers in the area. (Or bakers, photographers, knitters, dog lovers, etc.)

Use Bumble.
Yes, Bumble is for dating, but it is also very much for making friends. When you sign up for Bumble, it will prompt you to ask if you’re searching for romance or friendship. By using Bumble BFF, you’re doing exactly what you hope, making friends online. It’s certainly not weird since you are all there for the same thing.

Use FriendMatch.
FriendMatch, and other meet-up groups, are another great way to make friends as an adult. FriendMatch gives you the chance to meet people based on location, interests, age, and other deciding factors that you probably care about in your friendships.

Use dating apps.
This one is tricky, but it will certainly help you from feeling weird about it. If you are already using dating apps for, well, dating, why not expand your mind a bit and think of it is a connection tool in general. There are plenty of “failed” love connections that result in friendships. Many people meet someone on a dating app like Tinder, Bumble, or Hinge and have a great time without the romantic spark. And that’s totally okay!

In fact, it may be a good thing. If you both had a great time and you each happen to agree that a love connection is not going to pop up, why not continue the relationship as just friends? And who knows, you may connect with each other’s mutual friends from there. Win win win.

Making friends can be just as intimidating as dating. You want to put your best foot forward and impress these people who may just become your next best friend. By utilizing social media, dating apps, and other friendship meet up sites in your area, you are sure to make some friends without coming across as a weirdo. Good luck!

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