o you ever feel like real-life
opportunities to connect with
people are scarce these days?
I, for one, have been in a so-
cial rut for quite some time. I
interact with the same people
every day (family members and
coworkers), and even though
I have hundreds of friends on
social media, I’m not close with
the majority of them. While I scroll through my feeds multiple
times a day, I barely have any meaningful exchanges with peo-
ple. I’m fantastic at double tapping on cute photos of babies,
but that’s where most of my friendships begin and end.
Honestly, in the hustle and bustle of daily life, sometimes it
is easier to be friendly from afar with a quick wave or a friend-
ly hello than to invest in a real friendship with someone. Many
of us feel busy, isolated, and overwhelmed, barely managing
the needs of our own families and lives. Once I realized that
most of my interactions with others were happening virtually
and that they were scarce at best, I started brainstorming
about a better way to use social media. How could I humanize
the experience and maximize my time to be a true friend to
others?
Here are some steps to try next time you fi nd yourself aim-
lessly scrolling and liking; they will make ripple effects in your
relationships online and in person.- DON’T OVERTHINK IT OR WAIT
FOR CONDITIONS TO BE PERFECT
Sometimes we wait for conditions to be ideal in our person-
al lives or the lives of others to reach out, but let’s not over-
complicate friendship. There is no perfect time or alignment
of stars that will make becoming friends easier. The best time
to start any goal is now, so jump right in! I’ve had to let go of
my thoughts that people might think I’m weird or pushing to
be a friend if I follow their profi le or send a message. But, if
the tables were turned, I would never feel that way; I would
welcome friendship or a kind word from others at any point in
my life.- BROADEN YOUR FRIEND LIST
To boost your number of interactions, start adding or fol-
lowing people on social media that you normally might not.
Begin with acquaintances, like parents you see every day in
the school pick-up line but never really talk to, or regulars at
your favorite coffee shop; the main goal here is to have some-
thing to talk about with people you see every day. By briefl y
scrolling over their Facebook or Instagram page you will have
topics for conversation instead of just a friendly wave.USE SOCIAL
MEDIA TO BE A
BETTER FRIEND
8 EASY STEPS TO CREATE &
STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS
BY BRIANA DICKS