When you think of video chat sites, what comes to mind? Chances are you’ll think of a place where strangers go to talk and make friends. Maybe you think of it as an entertaining way to kill some time. What you may not realize, however, is that you can actually pick up some valuable lessons if you become a regular on random video chat spots such as Chatrandom.
Say you hop onto a site and start meeting people. You’ll have fun, yes, but given enough time, you’ll probably experience some concrete benefits too. This doesn’t take any special tips and tricks, or even any particular dedication on your part; it just happens. No two people will have the same experience, but the odds are good that you’ll still benefit from random video chatting.
The question is, what would these benefits be? Again, it’ll be different for everybody – but below you can find some of the most common ones.
1. Being selfish isn’t always bad
We’re taught from a very young age not to put ourselves first. As an adult, this could result in you doing all kinds of things that benefit other people, from volunteer work to cleaning out the coffee pot at the office. For many people, it’s just part of the normal rhythm of their lives – but what about on a video chat site?
As you might imagine, the dynamic is much different. In fact, it could be a bit of a shock to start chatting for the first time, and discover that many of your potential chat partners cut you off without warning. Leaving in the middle of a real-life conversation would be downright offensive, but on a chat site, it’s simply the way things are done. Why? Because it’s more convenient, and saves the time and ceremony of saying goodbye to a stranger who you don’t intend to talk to anyway. It isn’t that polite, but then, nobody goes to a random chat site to be polite – they go for some casual entertainment. If a chat isn’t giving them what they came for, why stay any longer than they have to?
2. Sometimes you should choose personal boundaries over friendship
First of all, let’s specify what “friendship” can mean on a video chat site. If you quickly connect with someone you just met in a video chat, you can definitely consider them to be a friend. You might also be on a chat site that lets you follow other members’ profiles, so you can reconnect after the initial chat. However, these types of friendships aren’t a good enough reason for you to ignore certain boundaries – particularly the ones regarding your personal details.
Since there’s a small chance that your new friend could be an identity thief, it’s best to take things slowly. Nobody’s going to fake a long-term online relationship for your full name and phone number; there are much easier targets online. At the beginning, however, it’s smart to keep your information to yourself. Remember, no real friend is going to pressure you to do something you don’t want to. If they’re way too curious about certain details, maybe it’s time to move on.
3. There are lessons to be learned from rejection
If you can’t stand getting rejected, a random chat site may not be for you; most users get rejected by potential chat partners many times during a single chat session. The explanation is simple, really: nobody is the right chat partner for everybody else. There are certain people you just won’t be interested in chatting with, and the same goes for everyone on the site.
There are a few rejections that you might take a bit more personally, though. If you get half-way through a chat, only for your partner to suddenly leave, that could sting a little. Instead of getting offended, though, think about why it happened. Was the topic simply not of general interest, or were you actually being a bit boring? If it happens a lot, perhaps your overall setup could be improved; this could make your chat partners feel more welcome and engaged. If you can fine-tune your approach, you could end up with more attentive chat partners.
4. You aren’t that weird when compared to a larger group of people
Have you ever been teased about something other people thought was odd? Maybe it was your love for 18th-century poets, or your enthusiasm when consuming Easy Cheese straight from the bottle. Everybody has little things that set them apart, but some people can feel like they’re a long way from normal.
If this is the case for you, just try random video chatting – you’ll meet plenty of people who are just as unusual, or more so, than you are. When you’re just one out of thousands of people on a video chat site, you’ll be able to compare yourself to a much larger number of people than your typical social circles can provide.
5. Social skills aren’t actually that difficult to improve
A lot of people have it, but few of them know how to get rid of it: social anxiety is a fact of life for many. It probably sounds a little nutty to recommend random video chatting as a kind of exposure therapy for people with social anxiety, but it has actually helped in some cases.
How does this work? Well, when you know that you can exit a chat anytime you want, it’s easier to stop thinking about all the ways the interaction could go wrong. Instead, you get to concentrate on the person in front of you; with enough practice, you might actually see some positive changes in your social confidence.
What do you think video chatting will do for you?
Even if you’re just hoping for some entertainment, random video chatting has plenty to offer. Plus, you could end up seeing some positive effects without even trying! If you keep your mind open to experiencing new things, the benefits could end up falling right into your lap.
NICE