One of the best features of random video chatting is that it’s so simple. Basically anyone with the internet and a webcam can do it, and many of them do – countless people around the world are active on random chat sites daily. If they’re on a cam to cam chat site like Camgo, they don’t even have to register; they can start a new chatting session in a matter of seconds.
That being said, there are a few aspects of random video chatting that are handy to know about beforehand. For instance, how to get more chat partners to hang out instead of leaving for another chat. Random chatters leave conversations all the time, but some of those instances can be easily prevented. How? Just keep going to find out!
1. Come prepared
Possibly the most basic mistake to make during a random chat is to sit there and wait for something interesting to happen. You could totally do that if you wanted; just be aware that this leaves it up to your chat partners to turn the chat into something besides awkward silence. As you might imagine, this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so you could find yourself repeatedly getting ditched.
Fortunately, this is just as easy to avoid as it is to let it happen. If you take a couple of minutes to think about potential conversation topics before hopping online, you’ll be able to turn those awkward silences into entertaining interactions – and you’ll look like a pro video chatter to boot!
If you aren’t quite sure about the kinds of topics you could suggest, here are some popular choices. You can use the ones below, or you can take them as guidelines; anything that’s generally appealing should work.
- Plan your dream vacations together
- Show off some DIY projects
- Introduce your pets
- Compare your repertoires of dad jokes
- Reminisce about childhood snacks or comfort foods
2. Be presentable
If you want to show up to the random chats in your pajamas, you won’t get any judgement; however, you may get a few more rejections. Your chat partners may be in the mood for someone who appears to take chatting a bit more seriously.
You may not take random video chatting all that seriously whether you’re wearing 10-year-old pajamas or a 3-piece suit, but your chat partners won’t know that. All they have to go on at first is how you look, so you should use that to your advantage. In addition to wearing clothes that are fairly decent, you also have to consider your webcam and lighting quality. Just like with your outfit, you don’t have to pull out all the stops; it’s just that you’ll be taken more seriously if you don’t look like a friendly vampire streaming in 240p. 720p is more than acceptable, and even a lot of budget webcams will give you that level of resolution. Your lighting will depend on available light sources, but with a couple of lamps you can play around with the angles until you get something that makes you look good. Simply avoid harsh lights (like fluorescent bulbs), direct beams, or extreme angles.
3. Demonstrate interest
If you’re random video chatting, it’s safe to bet that you’ll be doing plenty of talking; after all, it’s literally in the name. What you don’t want to do, though, is spend all your time talking about yourself.
Not that you’re necessarily at fault if you’ve ever done this. The problem is, if your chat partner isn’t contributing much to the conversation, you might just start in on a topic you’re familiar with – yourself. A lot of people do this automatically, and many partners will respond with their own anecdotes simply because that’s where the interaction seems to be going. The issue is when you forget to give your chat partner a chance to talk; that probably isn’t particularly interesting for either of you.
Turning around a situation like this is simple, though; all you have to do is stick a few questions in to get them involved. Share something about your life, and then ask if they’ve experienced anything similar. Even if they haven’t, they’ll still probably share something that your story reminded them of.
4. Chat from a quiet environment
This is especially true if you’re using a chat site that has an app as well as a website. Chatting while you’re out and about is a great way to alleviate boredom, but you also don’t want to confuse your chat partners with a hectic environment. Even if you’re indoors, family or roommates could make your chats all but indecipherable! If your chat partners can’t see or hear you well, they’re likely to skip to the next chat in search of something that’s actually intelligible.
5. Read the room
Everyone will have their own unique energy level and personality, and they won’t always be compatible with their chat partners. However, there’s a difference between “incompatible personalities” and “never learned basic communication skills”. Almost everyone adjusts their tone a bit, depending on who they’re talking to; the same thing applies to random chatting. Not because you’re trying to make friends by being fake, but because that’s just how people interact in order to get along better.
Keep in mind that this idea works both ways. You may be trying to meet someone in the middle, but they’re refusing to cooperate. Whether this is unintentional or they just don’t care about how you react, remember that you should only stay in a chat for as long as you’re having a good time. If you’ve lost interest because of a mis-matched chat partner, maybe it’s time for you to do the skipping – on to the next conversation!
You may already be using some of the above strategies, while others may have given you some food for thought. Whatever the case, there’s a little something there for everybody. A bit like video chats themselves, in fact. Take what you like, leave the rest, and most importantly – remember to have fun!