Having an online friend can be a lot of fun, your virtual friend can also turn into someone who supports you when you need it the most. However, friendship cannot develop into something meaningful if you have not seen each other. These are the reason why an online face reveal is something you should consider.
5 reasons why you should your face online
You should reveal your face so that you can know the person that you are talking to and they can also know you. An online face reveal can strengthen the relationship between the two of you. It can create trust and form a bond and an ever-lasting friendship
It shows that you are brave
Sure revealing your face online is intimidating but when you do so it shows how brave you are. Most of us have some sort of insecurity when it comes to the way that we look. When you show your face it not only signifies your bravery, but it is also an indication of your confidence. Don’t hide, accept your facial features, and don’t worry about how pretty you are. You can also be sure that your online friend has the same insecurities as you.
It establishes trust between you and your online friend
When you reach a certain point in your online conversations trust is formed. This is important because sometimes we share personal information with people that we meet online. When you can be vulnerable with your friend this strengthens the trust between the two of you.
You can eliminate the wrong kinds of people
If there comes a time when you reveal how you look and your online friend doesn’t like it, then you do not need to be friends with that person. You need an online friend who will accept you for who you are and the way that you look. Not someone who will make fun of you, intimidate you or pressure you to change yourself. If this is the kind of online friend that they are, then you do not need to be around that person.
You can be yourself
This is a big one, think about it, no more pretending and no more being afraid of what they might think because you have shown them what you look like. This means that you can chat with them online on a video call without having filters, or putting on makeup. When you are comfortable with the friendship you can even chat while relaxing in bed. Now, this sounds like my kind of friendship.
You can make long-lasting connections
Online friendships can turn out to be long-lasting ones. The more you trust each other as friends the more likely you will one day meet. Your friend can turn out to be your bridesmaid or you can even be her maid of honor one day, who knows? Many people met online, traveled together, and are still in each other’s lives even after ten years.
When to reveal your face to your online friend
The exact time that you should reveal your face is entirely up to you. This will vary depending from person to person. You should reveal your face when you are comfortable. This can be anything from one week to one month or even one year.
If you are afraid of showing your face but would like to form a strong bond with your online friend then you should follow these steps.
Start with an email or online chat
After chatting for a least a month then you should exchange phone numbers, some people are comfortable with exchanging phone numbers as early as two weeks. If this is not you, it is perfectly fine to wait until you are ready. After at least a month of chatting you will have an idea if your online friend is the kind of person, you want as a permanent friend.
During this stage, the friendship will become easier, because you won’t have to constantly open your email or have your laptop with you to chat. The nice thing about chatting with your phone is that you are most likely to have it with you and you can send a message or respond anytime.
Move to voice-calling each other
At this point, your online friend will start to feel like a close friend, someone who you can call at any time and also have to call you back. Don’t overdo the calling, some people are busy with commitments such as work, school, church, or other activities. You can call your friend when you know that they are at home and relaxing that way they can dedicate some time to chatting with you.
Kick-off video chat
There is something about video calling, it brings people who are far away from each other closer. After establishing trust with voice calling, then video calling is a natural progression. You can talk to your friend even when you are doing something around the house like cooking. My friend loves watching me put on my makeup, we are both into beauty, and we have our girl talk via video chat and feel connected even though we live in different countries.
Finally, meet in person
This is the final and most exciting step. I should point out that you should only meet your online friend in person once you have established that he or she is who they claim to be. Do not skip the previous step, this will have you maintain a level of safety
If you and your online friend live in the same city then you can meet for lunch. If this is your first face-to-face encounter then you must do it during the day. Safety comes first, and remember to tell someone where you are going and who you are going to meet.
What if my online friend doesn’t like the way that I look?
If you reveal your face and your online friend doesn’t like it then you don’t need that person in your life. Once again a true friend will not care about whether or not you have the perfect skin, the person’s hair, or even the perfect eyes.
Your friendship should be about having fun, getting to know each other, and ultimately establishing a strong bond that will help the both of you be there for each other. If they make fun of you, laugh at your picture or make rude jokes then this is the person’s time to end the online friendship.
If you are at the point where you feel comfortable with revealing yourself but your online friend has not asked to see your face, then by all means go ahead and tell them you would like to see what he or she looks like, be sure to do the following.
How to ask for a face reveal
Here are some leading questions that you can say to your online friend:
- I will send you a picture of how I look, would it be possible for you to also send me yours?
- Would you be okay if we had a video call I would like you to see how I look and I want to see how you look.
- We have been chatting for a while, I am interested in seeing how you look.
- You sound like a nice person and I have been enjoying our chats, so how about we do a face reveal?
- Have you ever revealed your face online? How would you feel if we exchanged pictures?
Is it rude to ask someone what they look like?
In case you are nervous and wondering if is it rude to ask someone what they look like? it is considered ok to ask someone what they look like especially if you have formed a friendship online. This is crucial if both of you plan on meeting one day, keep your request polite and if your friend is genuine then he or she should have no problem.
To wrap it up
Making friends is never an easy task, we make friends and we also lose them. The internet has made it much easier to not only meet people who live in our communities, but also around the world. Don’t let your fear of how you look to stop you from making real connections, there are people all over the world who are looking to make friends, make the time, and establish real friendships.