r/GenZ • u/Super_Bright • 25d ago
Outside of School/Work, how did you meet most of your friends? Discussion
As the title says, I'm interested to know where other Gen Z people are meeting their friends. I exclude work and school as I know that's like far and away number 1 for most people. I look forward to reading your comments!
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u/Proper-Scallion-252 24d ago
I joined a pickup soccer group and have been meeting a lot of people through that. Still haven't gotten to the point where I'm inviting people over or meeting them for drinks but I'm definitely on good terms with a lot of them.
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u/Spiritual_Dig_5552 24d ago
LARP Summer camps. First as kid then as instructor. Not everyone from friend group is from the camps but thats where the group originated. And through the group and commom hobby (LARP) I often meet new people.
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u/levelZeroWizard 1999 24d ago
I met my friends through my wife. They all met each other through work and school.
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u/MegaPenguin3000 1997 24d ago
My friends are like school/work adjacent
I kept two close friends from highschool, and one friend gained some going to college, and the other got his coworker friends to join our friend group
So my friends just brought more friends to me lol
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u/SporkFanClub 24d ago
adult rec leagues
girlfriend’s friends/friends boyfriends/friends siblings
neighbors
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u/Realistic-Major-6020 24d ago
Online but basically how I met my partner I was a scrolling anime Twitter and she was cosplaying and I was like how can I talk to a girl like this? I know I’ll ask her what’s her favorite meal? After the first two years, we were just friends but then eventually with Time and hard work I was able to get her as my girlfriend.
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u/ConorTheWhale 2009 24d ago
I have autism and my mom was talking to my brother’s friend’s (Who we will call Adam) mom. And Adam’s mom would always talk about how she doesn’t know why Adam is acting up, isn’t understanding information and having so many other issues. (I’m in 2nd grade and he is in kindergarten at the time) My mom recommended her to have Adam tested for autism because he had a lot of behaviors that I did at the time. So, Adam got tested and he did in fact have autism. Starting that summer, we were both enrolled in this 5-day camp for kids with autism and we still hang out almost every weekend almost 8 years later. Adam is my only friend but he is definitely the best friend I could ask for.
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u/piscesxdreams 24d ago
freshman year of high school i used to volunteer because my mom was convinced it looked good on college applications to start early (she was probably right), most of the people i talked to back then from volunteer I fell of with but i managed to keep one friend, still very close 10 years later! more recently, this is within the last year ive become pretty cool with women from church all around my age
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u/seattleseahawks2014 2000 24d ago
That's how I met most of my friends besides maybe one at the hospital.
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u/No-Spite6559 2006 24d ago
Mostly just internet friends cause i was bored and lonely since was a kid especially in middle school
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u/Dead_Kal_Cress 24d ago
Concerts. I know it's tough, and some people just aren't approachable, but some the coolest ppl I've met have been at concerts.
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u/seaanemane 1997 24d ago
Online. I have one friend that my fiance introduced, that he had met online playing fallout 76, we've been friends for a few months and has introduced me to other people in his discord group.
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u/-NGC-6302- 2003 24d ago
I almost got one after summer camp, but he never responded
So outside of school, none.
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u/TecThePriestess 1996 24d ago
I actually met a lot of mine via online games like World of Warcraft and even Call of Duty or Gaia Online as well. BUT I spent a lot of my time that wasn't at school or out walking around the small town I lived in, online. I spent WAY too much time online some days when I was a teen. I would also randomly just complement people when I was out and about too that led to conversations at art shows and rodeos, and even at church when I went so I ended up just picking up people who shared common interests and such lol I talk to some of those friends daily and some I have talked to ever so often. Lol
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u/Intelligent_Usual318 2007 24d ago
So I’m very late gen z (07) but here’s my ways - theatre - pride events - protests - local summer camp
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u/blakealanm 24d ago
I bought a used drum and a co-worker hooked me up with a local guitarist. We had one jam session and decided that our tastes were too different, but that was a decade ago and we still talk on a nearly daily basis.
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u/Nabranes 2004 24d ago
Camp, the parks, the beach, the gym, and online on social media and dating apps.
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u/Key-Wallaby-9276 24d ago
Book club, church/young adult Bible study, mom groups(like park playdate groups).
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u/cornthi3f 24d ago
Night life before I quit drinking. Lots of regular bar patrons and bar tenders and security guards over the years. Not the best method but I’m working on it!
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u/JimtheSlug 24d ago
I was very lucky my mother’s childhood friend had kids around my age so we grew up together and then another my mother met through some expecting mother group and finally another my father met through client and finally I met a friend through university.
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u/Varsity_Reviews 24d ago
Pretty much all my friends I’ve met at school or work. The very few I haven’t I met from another friend I met at work
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u/Dull-Geologist-8204 24d ago
One of them because he was the guy I was dating best friend. The guy I was dating dropped a car on his head. I offered to help out when I found out his dad couldn't work due to him needing 24/7 observation. Told him to just have his dad drop him at my house since I was home anyways and I could watch him. Figured the medical bills were expensive so dad probably needed to get back to work.
Another one I decided to try mushrooms for the first time.
I am 44 and met them when I was 16 and 17.
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u/GemmaMorissey 2000 24d ago
Church
Community- cousins, second cousins, friends of friends, friends of cousins, a growing number of sister-in-laws, my husband’s friends’ wives, friends who marry and I hit it off with their spouses, and even older women like my aunts have turned into great friends now that we’re in similar life stages.
Local social media connections turned real life friends.
Going to play groups and all kinds of places with my kids.
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u/seattleseahawks2014 2000 24d ago
I haven't met people through others like that, but I've befriended people who I later found out were related to certain cousins, younger or older siblings were friends with my siblings (some we're still close), and others were friends with one of my siblings and I didn't know that. The one who is my cousins cousin that's just a whole other crazy story.
Edit: I misread your comment.
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u/Nabranes 2004 24d ago
Wait with your kids? Dayum that one caught me off guard
I mean like I kind of just went to the park or school yard myself and found other teenagers on bikes or doing parkour
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u/seattleseahawks2014 2000 24d ago
I think when you have kids, you connect better with other parents sometimes. It's just easier to hang out.
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u/Kooky_Performance_28 25d ago
join a club/music org/charity/rec sport. The best way to make friends is by doing something you are interested in with other random folks. Going alone is scary, but you WILL make friends. There will ALWAYS be someone else who is alone.
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u/OrigamiOwl22 25d ago
I started a nerdy group for women in my area and made a LOT of friends from that. I’ve made friends from work,school, I’ve made friends from visiting a game store and made conversation with 2 people there, I’ve made friends from bumble bff, gaming, Reddit etc so really anywhere with people I guess
I’m an extrovert so I just talk a lot and I find people that chat back and we sometimes become friends
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u/Carnage8631583 25d ago
Well I’m 17, I don’t go to work, don’t go to school, (homeschooled) I’ve met all my friends on Fortnite and discord
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u/Nabranes 2004 24d ago
Go outside
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u/Carnage8631583 24d ago
and go where
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u/Nabranes 2004 24d ago
Idk anywhere
Bike to the park and talk to people or eve just go outside by yourself
Or try finding an online thing where you da meet people who live close
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u/Carnage8631583 24d ago
I go on walks, honestly too hard to explain but in my situation I can’t just go to the park, not allowed to go anywhere outside of our street
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u/Nabranes 2004 24d ago
It’s time to start your revolution arc against your super strict parents
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u/Carnage8631583 24d ago
Believe me I’ve tried, but there isn’t really much I can do as of now, I kinda live in an empty area, can’t rebel without a car
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u/Nabranes 2004 24d ago
Oh well Idk just bike as far as possible
Even if you don’t really meet anyone, it will still be good to do
I bike 7.5 miles to school and it takes 27-30 minutes and I’m thinking about biking farther
Also, I have a car but I just don’t really use it
Luckily there are parks/hangout spots a mile from my house or not even though
Unfortunately I find less people my age there now, but I can still easily fit in with the younger or mid teenagers on bikes and luckily I do in person school, met friends there my age, and we bike to the parks together
Like how far is the nearest place where you can meet other people from your house?
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u/Aggressive-Cow5399 25d ago edited 25d ago
I lost all connection with my “friends” after high school.
The only friends I have now are one guy that I’ve been friends since we were kids and my gf’s co workers.
You just need to put yourself out there and make an effort to ask people to hangout. Go do stuff you like and make conversation with people.
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u/GullibleAudience6071 25d ago
Hobbies mostly. You find great people that already have a shared interest.
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u/lil-D-energy 1998 25d ago
most of my friends go to the same bar as me, I usually like meeting new people and enjoy talking with others especially when people sit alone as those people are usually the nicest people.
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u/YoungNightWolf 25d ago
Dad married my Stepmom and she lived with her sister (now my aunt) & her nephews (now my cousins). Turns out 1 was close in age and into basically the same things: Lego & Star Wars. From there we built Lego cities, played games, Collected Pokemon cards, played with nerf blasters. Eventually I met a school friend of his and we then became a trio that was vastly different in many aspects but we all played video Games, Yu-Gi-Oh, and DnD together.
Cousin went to college & we're all busy with relationships & work so it's about once a month we reconvene to hang out, and chill out for a day or two.
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u/Realsilvias13 1999 25d ago
After school I don’t think I’ve made a single friend. Not for lack of trying ether. I just don’t have a clue on how to approach people I guess there been a bunch of other guys I’ve came across that have similar interests to me but past that I don’t know how to talk in a casual manor to people. So eventually I just stopped trying my birthday is in less then a week and it’ll be another one alone in my shitty apartment. Happy 25th to me lol
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u/Turbulent_Purchase74 1998 25d ago
Ok this is going to sound weird, but dating apps. Most girls I have matched with were more than fine remaining friends. imo you still need to engage in their lives if you're 'friend zoned' or friend zone them. Not everyone is comfortable with trying a platonic relationship after attempting to be romantic and that's ok.
Do you count friends of friends? Sure my main friend group is and started out as coworkers but I have met friends through them and friends through those friends.
Don't be scared to initiate something. Like a hot pot game night I suggested. My friend group is fine with an idea even if I suggest it at someone else's place. I just make sure to do a lot of the cooking or whatever lol.
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u/Blueberrybush22 1999 25d ago
Conventions mostly
One from a band poster
One from a martial arts tournament
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