How Young Aussies Are Using the Internet to Make New Friends and Lasting Connections

Pen pals are becoming the new norm.

Let’s be real: Gen Z is the generation that grew up on the internet, so you can’t blame us for loving it.

While having too much screen time often gets a negative rep, the internet has proven to be a super amazing tool for work, study and even making lifelong friendships.

In a world where many young people have had to stick to the four walls of their bedroom for months on end (thanks but no thanks COVID-19), many of us have turned to the internet to connect with loved ones and find new friends.

As per research by WP Engine, 56 per cent of Gen Zs now have at least one online-only friendship, and more than 1.3 million Australian Gen Zs are turning to social media apps like Yubo to form connections and make new friends.

In fact, Yubo found that their live streams increased by a whopping 550 per cent during the 2020 lockdown and during Sydney’s most recent lockdown, the Australian community on Yubo doubled the number of friendships created.

To dig a little deeper into this topic, our Writer and Content Producer Marie Gooley Zoomed Student Edge members Muliki Lubunga and Marie Mbaindene to chat about how they found each other using the live streaming app Yubo, and what it’s like to have a friend that you only know from your phone or computer screen.

They are firsthand examples of how a simple conversation over a topic like Harry Potter, a music artist or a TV show can flourish into an inseparable bond.

Muliki who is based in Adelaide and Marie who lives in Brisbane met one day when they both joined the same live stream and immediately hit it off.

Marie and Muliki share that they have found a virtual space where they feel happy, comfortable and well-connected, particularly throughout the ongoing COVID lockdowns.

Check out what they had to say below.

While you can find all sorts of new and interesting people on any kind of social media app, Yubo makes it a little bit easier for young people with their 'Add by Tags' feature.

This allows users to control and personalise their experience and make it easier to find friends who have common interests.

Basically, the new feature means that users can click on different themes and topics to start their journey of finding new friends that share the same passions.

(Image: Yubo)

As Muliki explains, meeting new people online can be a great way to make new friends because you’re able to look outside of your immediate circle and connect with people that may be a little more like-minded.

“You can choose who you want to be friends with rather than in reality how you’re thrown in a group, and you just have to make do,” he explains.

“There’s a lot of people that have similar interests in whatever you do so it’s so easy to make friends on Yubo.”

With the ongoing pandemic continuing to keep people from travelling or reaching their current communities, online friendships could be the future for young people—at least for the short term.