How To Make New Friends Online And Build Meaningful Connections, According To Relationship Experts

When you’re around people who are passionate about the same things you are, your ideas are more likely to be heard and appreciated. You can bounce ideas off of each other, without the fear of being shut down. Justine is a licensed mental health counselor with a private practice in White Plains, NY. She helps teenagers, young adults and families struggling with anxiety, depression, family conflict and relationship issues. Justine is also the host of the podcast Thoughts From the Couch. If you’d like to learn more about how therapy can help you find like-minded friends, reach out today (I help teens and young adults in the state of New York).

That means that you can say no to when it really doesn’t work for you, but you still say yes to the majority of invites. Take this quiz and get a custom report based on your unique personality and goals. Start improving your confidence, your conversation skills, or your ability to bond – in less than an hour. Now that I understood that small talk is the bridge to getting to know people and figure out of they’re like-minded, I enjoy small talk so much more.

But that mutual attraction from day one still lingers, threatening to destroy both of their reputations. Elementary school teacher Emily is thrilled when her workplace rival Jack leaves town with his fiancee— and not super happy when he returns after calling off the wedding. Fitness activities have recently become the go-to for finding dates. However, joining a running club for romance isn’t for everyone.

• It involves reflecting on what genuinely brings you motivation, happiness, and satisfaction.
• We strive to write accurate and genuine reviews and articles, and all views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors.
• There are many ways to start meeting like-minded people.
• Plus, meeting people comes naturally from developing new interests.

Seek Out Those You Might Have Things In Common With

SocialSelf works together with psychologists and doctors to provide actionable, well-researched and accurate information that helps readers improve their social lives. For example (this is a crazy story) I made small talk with a cashier at Trader Joe’s last week (a grocery store) and it turns out we have loads of things in common. We’re both interested in technology, futurology, biohacking, and AI. This weekend, we’re going to meet up with some of my friends who are also interested in those things.

When you meet someone who shares the same interests as you, they may know some things about your common interests that you don’t know yet. Or you might know things that happen to be wrong, and them knowing the truth, they’ll correct you in the process. Now that you know how to find like-minded people, you’ve only scratched the surface of this whole process. Now you must learn what you should do once you find like-minded people. The process of finding them becomes futile if you can’t befriend them at all.

Going to general places, like “new in town-groups” you’ll probably have a lower success rate than specific interest-groups. You might still find like-minded people there, but you’re MORE likely to find like-minded people in groups for specific interests. Popular sports like football are not the only sports available to you either. Use your imagination and research all the different types of sports you could potentially get involved in. This is a great approach for people who do not view themselves as very sporty. Sport is one of the biggest social engagements that people can be involved in.

Wyzr looks like a dating app, but romantic connections are not the main idea. With 27.6 million people working remotely during the pandemic, the opportunity to move without taking a job’s location into consideration led many workers to move to a new place. During the pandemic, as opportunities for socializing in person disappeared, nearly half of Americans reported losing touch with several friends. Making friends online became an increasingly feasible—and in some cases, necessary—option. Each of our experts agreed that you should never offer your personal mailing address or work location to an online friend.

This feature will show you tons of different activities you can add to your habitual schedule that’ll introduce you to new, potentially like-minded people. Maybe you go to these places because you always have, thanks to the security of being with your friends. But always doing this won’t allow you to meet the type of people you’re looking for. That’s not to say don’t be friends or go out with them, just don’t expect to meet the kind of like-minded person you want in that specific place. Once you leave the comfortable world of school and enter into the “real world,” it becomes a lot harder to learn how to meet like-minded friends. Not all social apps turn out to be good for just making friends, but those that do make a difference.

The internet can be a great place to track down like-minded people who share your passions. Today, I’m lucky to be connected with a buzzing community of over 10,000 like-minded readers who are passionate about personal growth and living a better life. In the past 2 years, I’ve been contacted by over a thousand different people, some for business purposes, some for networking, and many just reaching out to connect. I would meet up with a small handful of them, even international readers (who fly in to Singapore, where I live). There are many ways of finding like-minded friends. I also didn’t know anyone who was in the domain of blogging, coaching or speaking.

For now, though, focus on your interests that are more common and widely practiced. Once you’re able to pinpoint which of your interests you can use to find like-minded people, you’ll be off to a great start. Read below for blog articles with more tips for using Meetup to make like-minded friends where you live.

LMK is a talk-based app that allows you to connect with others in a number of different ways. Rather than connecting through the same old instant messaging format, LMK allows you to have voice chats with people that have similar interests, whether in groups or one-on-one. LMK doesn’t waste your time—there is a timer on calls that lets you extend the chat if things are going well, or leave your chats short and sweet if you don’t feel a connection. Dating apps have long been a means of finding friends rather than romance. In a 2021 OnePulse survey of more than 300 Gen Z respondents between 16 and 24, at least 1 in 3 (35%) said they’d used dating apps to find platonic friends in the year prior. In 2023, nearly 1 in 4 current or recent online dating app users listed making new friends as a “major reason” for using dating apps, according to the Pew Research Center.

It’s awkward to start keeping in touch after one interaction unless you REALLY hit it off. To have the chance to get to know people, you need to meet them on a regular basis (at least weekly, in my experience). You see nowadays there is a blog or YouTube channel for practically anything and they gain some serious traction.

You might meet many people who don’t quite resonate with you, and that’s okay. The important thing is to stay persistent and keep putting yourself in situations where the odds of meeting the right people are higher. Over time, as you continue to engage in these spaces, you’ll increase your chances of forming meaningful relationships and meeting like-minded people. One of the Talkcharm review best ways to improve your social life is to find like-minded people. Like-minded people, of course, mean people who share certain beliefs, interests, and ideologies as you. Your level of interaction with these individuals is much higher and more natural.

Communities

And the good news is that there are thousands of sports to get involved in so there is always something for somebody. Now let’s look at 11 methods which you can utilise today to help you network with like minded people. Leverage this network to build a robust safety net, ensuring you have access to the emotional and physical support essential for healthy aging. In February 1965, the BBC reported from the funeral of the black nationalist leader in Harlem, New York, as thousands of people queued to pay their last respects. The events will cost the same as a standard workout class at their studios. Find someone to have fun with, learn from, or support.

As mentioned above, if your goal is to make friends, finding like-minded people makes this process easy. However, if you’re socially skilled, you can make things even easier for yourself. Tell your friends, acquaintances, or invite other people online. After a few weeks, people start recognizing your name.

To learn more about how adults make friends today, Stacker spoke with people using dating and friend-finding apps in search of platonic connections. It might feel intimidating at first, but you’ll find that once you take the first bold steps forward, things will start to fall into place one by one, and doors will open thereafter. After all, where the intention goes, the energy energy flows.

Be wary of people who ask for your mailing address to send you a gift or card. Also refrain from sharing your personal phone number. Opt for other ways of communication such as voice calls on Facebook Messenger. Whether you’re experiencing postpartum depression or looking for advice on sleep training your baby, the Peanut app helps you connect to other moms who are also in the trenches. It would be best if you consciously put yourself in situations or engage in activities where you’re more likely to run into others who share your values, interests, or objectives. It’s about selecting social environments that complement your interests and personality in order to engage in social interactions effectively.

For instance, Friender lets you connect with people nearby who share the same interests as you. Some dating apps are even branching out to friendships too – like Bumble bff (Bumble for friends). Just swipe through until you find someone who you have something in common with, see if you match and set up a friend date. Mindy Kittay, a 65-year-old business owner living in Boulder, Colorado, decided to try a friend-finding app after feeling lonely and needing a sense of community.

The mobile application is focused on meetings “here and now”, so the posted application is valid for only an hour. This is enough to find someone with similar interests and arrange a meeting. This format is great if you are sad and want to quickly cheer up. Don’t try just one fitness class, try lots and see who you meet along the way.