Getting to know new people

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Getting to know new people: offline or online?

Getting to know new people is not always easy. Because how do you address someone and is that person interested in you? Do you have the same interests and is the other person also looking for a friendship? All these questions might keep you busy when you are looking for new friends. It seems like these questions are a little easier to answer online, so would meeting new people online be easier too? And what is the difference between meeting new people online and offline?

An advantage of getting to know new people online is that you often already know if someone has the same interests. This is possible because someone has completed a profile that matches yours or has joined the same groups as you. But also because, for example, you start talking on the forum of your biggest hobby with someone with exactly the same passion. The first step works online so just a little easier than offline.

When you are in a face-to-face conversation with someone, you can quickly read emotions from the face, choice of words and intonation. So you can easily adjust a conversation a bit before it gets really painful. It's not that easy online. A written text can be interpreted very differently than you originally intended it to be. The other closes his laptop and you don't hear anything anymore. On the other hand, if things threaten to get out of hand, typing the word sorry is just that little bit easier than saying this to someone.

Unfortunately, when we meet new people, we often go by appearance and prejudice, even though we may not want to. Online you can hide behind your very best profile picture and there are even people who use a fake picture. This way you can have very in-depth conversations with someone who might not have given you a glance offline. For example, starting an online friendship can be very positive, because a foundation has already been laid before you meet in real life.

So there are quite a few differences between meeting new people online and offline. Both situations have advantages and disadvantages. You might meet great new people online, whom you later meet offline to develop an even better friendship with. That is what we want to achieve with Joinby: online contact, then doing something fun offline. Because the fact remains that people ultimately just need real people around them.

12 ways to meet new people offline

As a child it was all so easy: you played somewhere, looked at each other and asked if the other wanted to "play together" (or often even just: went to play together without saying anything) and in no time you had a new friend created. Getting to know new people wasn't exciting, awkward or stressful, but it actually came naturally.

Adults, however, have a much greater difficulty meeting new people and making new friends. Somewhere along the way we lost 'something' to simply do this: the time, the courage, the open-mindedness… who knows. However, everyone has a need for human contact, but being open to this appears to be difficult.

For all people who have just moved to a new city, emigrated, lost (part of) their group of friends or who just like to meet new people, we have made an overview of ways to get in touch with others. And hopefully meet nice new people who really suit you. Just as an overview/inspiration for those who need it, classified by ways of offline versus online.

Go volunteer

By doing volunteer work you meet new people in your own environment AND you also do something good for others. There is a lot organized in every city or municipality so that you should be able to find something that suits you. Google: “volunteering 'your city'” and you are sure to find something that suits you.

Work!

Find a job (if you don't have a job or side job yet) or, if you are already working, see if your job is to see if there are people with whom you 'click'. Given the amount of time many people spend at work these days, it's a good idea to have some fun there anyway. Companies are partnerships where you work on something together, so you are sure to come into contact with new people with whom you want to achieve something together: an ideal opportunity to see if you are on the same page!

Co-working spaces

Are you self-employed or do you often work from home? An ideal way to meet new people is in co-working spaces like Seats2Meet. Here you sit next to other self-employed / workers or you can make a call to drink a cup of coffee together.

Go do a training or course

Another idea is to do a course or training. Here you come into a new class with all kinds of people who don't know the others either, so an ideal opportunity to combine the useful and the pleasant: learning something and getting to know new people.

Working out together / sports buddies

Playing sports together, for example in a team, is one of the best ways to get to know new people. It is for everyone (if all goes well) voluntary and in their own time and therefore the place where people are relaxed. In addition, there is often a fixed meeting moment (aka training) so that you see people more often: one of the requirements to really get to know people.

Go on a trip/on the road

We travel a bit in our lives: when we are traveling in the sense of vacation, but also pure transport to get somewhere. However, nowadays 90%+ of the people with earplugs are in or sucked out of the moment in their phone. If you just don't do that and see who else has withdrawn from this addiction, you might just start a conversation and get to know someone new.

Join a club or association

Do you have a hobby that you can practice together? See if you can find clubs in your area to practice your hobby together. You will be surprised how many clubs & associations there are if you search. Associations often have moments when you can come and have a look. If not, just send an email asking if you can come and have a look!

Visit a community center

It may feel a bit old-fashioned, but a community center is still a place where people come together with the added advantage of living (presumably) in your neighborhood. Community centers often organize all kinds of activities so that you can go when there is something to do that you enjoy and hopefully meet like-minded people.

Speed dating for friends

A new phenomenon is speed dating for friends. It works like this: During the speed date you get to know new people in a number of short conversations. Afterwards there is a nice drink where you can also immediately register with one of the WhatsApp groups. Via the website Vriendenonline.nl you can sign up (perhaps also other places in the future) to meet new friends.

Go to open days & fairs

There are also all kinds of open days in your area, something for everyone: about gardening, visiting houses, museums, open house days, and so on. Open days & trade shows are a good place to meet new people who share your interest.

Pub quiz / game night

Een andere goede mogelijkheid om in contact te komen met nieuwe mensen is door mee te doen aan pubquizen of spellenavonden in een café bij jouw in de buurt. Veel cafés organiseren tegenwoordig wel pubquiz- of spellen-avonden waarbij er meestal wel een mogelijkheid is om aan te sluiten bij een team (immers: hoe meer stel hersenen, hoe meer je gezamenlijk weet😊). Je kunt vaak gemakkelijk online vinden of er een pubquiz/spellenavond georganiseerd wordt bij een café bij jou in de buurt.

Get in touch with old friends

You probably have it too… a friend from the past that you spent a lot of time with, but whom you have lost sight of over time, but who are actually quite curious about how he or her is doing. Be a kid again and just message me to see how you're doing! 9 out of 10 times someone really enjoys hearing from you and maybe the other person also has the time and desire to meet up again. It may not be a real 'new person', but that doesn't matter of course.

As you can see there are many ways to get offline meet new people† Do you have any more good tips? Let us know! In any case, with Joinby we hope to offer you an easy way to connect online with people in your area and then speak offline and get to know new people in your own neighbourhood. Good luck!

Getting to know new people