When I first heard of apps to make friends, I was really skeptical. As an extrovert involved with several organizations, I never had any problems with meeting people and I had tons of conversation starters ready to go. But after the pandemic hit and meetings turned virtual, everything felt so formal and I did not have the same opportunities to meet and connect with people that I had in the past. As we pass the year mark of the pandemic, I really feel the lack of connection more than ever. Recently I realized that a week had gone by and the only person that I talked to was my roomie. It was then that I realized I was ready for a change.
I was familiar with apps to make friends, but none of them really appealed to me, until I saw someone posting about Frida. Frida is an app designed by women for women that connects people based on interests, not physical appearance. Oh, and did I mention that it’s free? Yep, you can develop a complete profile, say “hey” to whoever you want, and even see who said “hey” to you back, all for free. I also love how I can personalize my profile and showcase my personality.
Frida gives the option to add dozens of interests, making it super easy to find something in common with pretty much anyone. A complete profile includes aesthetics, music, tv & movies, books, food, hobbies and general interests, and for each category you can add as many of your faves as you want. It made conversation SO easy for me because there’s nothing I love more than finding another plant lover and gushing about succulents. Casual, fun conversations like that have definitely been few and far between for me during the pandemic, so it was refreshing to be able to do that again.
I was able to connect with someone, we’ll call her Sherry, who is a few years older than me, working in the field that I am studying. I love that I knew from her profile that she was a social worker and that we had a lot in common before messaging her. It saved so much of the awkward getting to know you questions that I HATE. It ended up being less awkward than I expected. We launched right into conversation about her career, where we studied, and what I should expect. It was super helpful!
The main drawback that I found is that, because the app is still new, there are not a lot of users. I was actually the first person in South Carolina to download the app, so I’m waiting for it to become more popular so that I can talk to people that I will actually be able to meet in person. However, it is cool to see and chat with people from all over the country! While meeting people through Frida is definitely not the same as making friends in person, it is definitely a great substitute for these socially awkward pandemic times!