What proportion of your Facebook friends do you regularly talk to? Ten percent? When you're friends online, it's easy to forget to meet up in real life.
Realizing how many of his Facebook "friends" were far from close relationships offline, Matt Kulesza decided to take action. The Australian resolved he would have one-on-one coffee with every one of his 1,000-plus Facebook friends, in what his Tumblr calls, "an exercise in remembering to socialize with and get to know people outside of the 'book."
Kulesza says he realizes that completing all these coffee dates will take three years – or more. Starting last month, he has been slowly working through his long list of Facebook friends. Following coffee, he posts a quick description of his friend, what they talked about, a photo from the meeting and what coffee they drank. As of Oct. 1, he's on coffee No. 25.
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Scrolling through the entries, readers can watch Kulesza reconnect with people he hasn't seen for thirteen years, make time to get to know new friends better and consume copious amounts of caffeine.
With the vast array of social media networks, from Facebook to LinkedIn, face-to-face interaction can seem superfluous. But sometimes it takes a real, in-person conversation to build trust and relationships. Whether you're networking or building a friendship, take inspiration from Kulesza and sit down over coffee with lapsed friends and new business contacts. Social networks may allow more people to connect, but it's up to you to maintain and deepen those relationships.
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