Meeting Online Friends in “Real Life”
August 25th, 2009 | Categories: Friends, Online | 9 CommentsI always err on the side of caution when the subject of meeting online friends in real life comes up. This is not because I distrust my online friends/don’t want to meet them if the opportunity came up, but simply because one can never be too careful in this day and age, especially when there are always stories on the news about “Myspace murderers” or “Facebook stalkers” and the like.
I think the internet is a great tool that can help one find new friends, if used appropriately. Obviously I’m not going to agree to meet up with a random Facebook person from Nigeria who specializes in photographing models and helping kickstart their career. But I wouldn’t say no to meeting someone from say, TFL, as I’ve known the people there for years and many of the members at both communities have become my good friends. I’d even go as far to say that in some respects, I am closer to a few of my online friends than some of my offline ones!
I have met up with Melody, Skyped with Alice, and will hopefully be meeting Rebekah early next month. These are all girls whom I love dearly and had a great time when hanging out with them in person and I love sharing online haunts with them. However, that’s because we were friends and then we met up; we didn’t arrange to meet in person to become friends. I think that, along with common sense and good judgment, is where a lot of the difference lies between the friendships I have with my online friends versus people who scour the internet to find a friend.
Tags: opinions
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Hi, I'm Manda. I'm a college student studying communications and languages. I like to read, shop, bake, and travel. I have a tendency to listen to my favorite songs on repeat for hours on end. Sometimes I catch myself thinking in a language other than English. 
I haven’t met up with anyone I met online, but if I did it would be in a very public place during the day. If I did meet an online friend, they would obviously be someone I’m really close to, but you still never know. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so I would definitely want to meet in a place where there are lots of people just in case they did turn out to be some creepy person.
I’ve meet a few of my online friends and it’s fun! I don’t really see it being any different than making friends with people I might meet in RL, except I might be a little more open with my online friends:) Most of the people I’ve met, I’ve met through LJ and stuff. There are some online friends I’m closer to than my RL friends!
I haven’t met up with anyone online for a very long time, just because most of the ladies I know are in the states and I am in the UK. I met two people when I travelled to the USA to meet them and that was good fun :)
I haven’t met anyone yet, but I guarantee that if I and/or my friends could drive that would all change. I’m incredibly close to some of my online friends; it seems a waste to not know them in real too. I know others who have met up though and they’ve always had a great time – makes me envious of the fact that they all live closer to each other than I do!
I definitely wouldn’t consider meeting anyone I didn’t know and trust inside out – you just can’t take the risk. And even those I do know inside out I would be wary of the first time – I’d do the same as Clem, and meet them in a public place.
I have met a few people I know online in the real world. One I have known since 1999 and we met up for the first time a few years ago, and we’ve gone on movie marathons, shopping days and random outings since. I actually just saw her in May when I was in the city burning up some time so we went and watched Terminator: Salvation. I’ve met another person I know online and I’ve been to her house even! Admittedly it was for a transaction of money for action figures, but we had met previously at a concert for a band we both love, so it was all good. :)
I will admit that the first time I meet someone from the internet I am sure to do it in a public and busy place, so in case I get the wrong vibe I can duck out and hide if I need to.
I met my husband online. That says a lot. We were friends online for a few years before we met, though. I think it’s alright as long as both parties are careful. Like someone else says, know the person for a while and then meet in a public place.
Out of everyone I ‘know’ online, I’ve probably met the most people. Off the top of my head, I’ve met at least twenty people in our ‘circle’. And…it doesn’t bother me, because you know, I know these people, often better than people I know IRL.
I’ve never met up with an online friend in real life before. I’d like to, but location is an issue for me being in the middle of nowhere and all. :P Maybe I’m crazy to not feel obsessively cautious about it, but the only people I’d ever meet were people I was really comfortable with and trusted… like TFL/VegOpt people. Because I just know you guys aren’t psychotic stalkers.
I definitely wouldn’t meet up with someone I just met online. The only ones that I have met, or want to meet, are those that I’ve known for several years and consider myself to be quite close to. You can never be too cautious when it comes to these things!