At first glance, webcam chats might not seem quite like a secret weapon; maybe more of a handy tool, at best. If you think this now, just wait until you’ve gotten to the end of the article – chances are, you will have changed your mind.
What’s with all the hype? Don’t most social networking sites do just fine without a webcam chat feature? There’s no disputing that regular old social media sites are popular, but you can’t deny that they come up short when it comes to the “social” part of “social networking”.
Webcam chats are more than just fancy phone calls that take up extra bandwidth; in the context of social networking, they can be used for plenty of different activities. For instance, you can use a website like Fruzo to hop onto webcam chats with random people as you look for new friends – it’s much more effective than just scrolling through profiles. Want to be friends with someone on the other side of the world? Now you can do it over a webcam chat!
If you’re new to the whole “making friends online” thing, you might be especially glad of a webcam chat feature. Navigating a budding online friendship could be tricky if all you have is text chatting, but webcam chatting could help you feel like you’re genuinely getting to know the person you’re talking to.
Now let’s get into the details – what exactly is so wonderful about webcam chats?
Webcam Chats Can Give You a Sense of Safety
One of the issues of social networking sites is the presence of scammers. Whether they’re catfishers looking for attention, or they’re simply going after your money, it isn’t always possible to tell whether someone’s legit. This is mainly because of how easy it is to use fake photos; without another means of verification, you have to keep your eyes peeled for other indications of foul play.
If you’re using webcam chats, though, you can instantly verify that someone’s at least being truthful about their appearance. Even if you leave scammers out of the equation, it’s not uncommon for people to use photos in which they’re 10 years younger – or 10 pounds lighter. That’s a little more understandable, but it’s still false advertising, and that’s not the best way to start a friendship. If you can webcam chat with someone, you’ll see what they look like without the help of old photos or extensive editing.
Webcam Chats Can Tell You Way More Than Regular Social Media Profiles Can
Think about what a regular social media profile does: it tells people what you look like, and what kind of person you are. This still leaves room for a pretty big margin of error, though. Daniel, 32, from New York, who works in the furniture import industry and loves kayaking and mountain climbing, could sound like he has friend potential for someone who also loves outdoor activities. Even so, that could mean plenty of things. Is he a home-body who had fun on that one summer vacation in the mountains 15 years ago, or does he spend every other weekend at the nearest national park? With webcam chatting, you could find out just how adventurous he is within minutes.
Webcam chatting could be your opportunity to impress people with not only the way you present yourself, but with your personality too. In addition to conversations with the friends you already have, you could use webcam chatting to look for new friends as well.
Just like you’d only use flattering photos on a social media profile, make sure you’re basically presentable for the webcam chats. You also want to express your personality; you could do this with the way you’re dressed, with whatever’s in the background, or both. Speaking of the background, it never hurts to spruce it up a little. Will you be relaxing on your couch as you chat? Put a houseplant behind you, and drape a nice blanket over the back of the sofa. If you can get natural lighting, that’s always best; but if that isn’t an option, go for a light source that’s still flattering.
Webcam Chats Could Be the Venue for Your Next Get-Together
Added safety is great, and it’s always nice to get a better look at potential friends; but let’s be honest, the best parts are the fun parts.
With regular social media sites, it isn’t that common for people to meet in person after becoming friends online. For one thing, you might live hundreds of miles away from each other. For another, it’s hard to tell if there’s really a spark of friendship between you if text chat is your only mode of communication.
Here come webcam chats to save the day! Distance isn’t so much of an issue, since you can hang out and even do various activities together. Do you both enjoy evenings filled with pizza, ice cream, and the latest action movie? Time to stock up on the essentials and watch the movie together while webcam chatting. If you want action instead of action movies, think up a challenge or project that you can both work on. This could be anything – learning how to do handstands, seeing who can come up with the most unique food combinations, or trying to give yourselves a haircut on camera. The possibilities are infinite!
Developing a friendship requires more than just movie nights and challenges, though. As you get to know your online friends, you’ll probably spend time just talking – and webcam chats are perfect for that as well. Even if they have a hard time saying everything they want to, you’ll still be able to read their body language. In other words, webcam chats can help you have an actual friendship with someone, even if you never meet face-to-face. Regardless of the kind of friendships you’re looking for, webcam chats are a great way to find them – and a great way to have fun while you’re searching!
