Do you find it hard to make friends as an adult? If you’re having a difficult time meeting new people, you’re not alone. There are reasons behind the struggle, but there are mobile apps that can actually help you make new friends.
Relationship expert YY Wei says as we get older, our past gets in the way of putting ourselves out there and meeting new people.
"Anytime we get hurt, in any type of relationship, it's going to have an emotional impact on us," says Wei. "And that means it's going to impede our own courage to reach out to people again."
A recent study out of the University of Kansas found that it takes about 50 hours of socializing to go from an acquaintance to a casual friend. If you want to become close friends, the study found it takes 200 hours of socialization.
Most of us don’t have that kind of time, so there are apps that can help. For example, there’s a newer app called Girl Crew. It’s similar to dating apps. You simply create a profile, begin a chat and then if you like the person, you can set up a time and place to meet.
Another app is Skout. You can use it to meet new people, no matter where you are, even if you’re just visiting.
"The app helps because you know the basic stuff about this person," explains Wei. "Do we share the same hobbies, do we like the same music, and do we like to do similar things going hiking, going out drinking or happy hour."
If apps aren’t for you, Wei says to do what you like to do and meet people that way. So, if you like working out, you can meet friends at the gym.
But if you’re going to stay in your comfort zone, you need to push yourself a little. Wei says at the end of the day, you need to give a little to get a little.
