Making Friends in Second Life Without Saying ‘Hi’

Making friends in Second Life isn’t hard, but it’s also not as easy as showing up, yelling “Hi” into a stranger’s face, and expecting a lifelong bond, a shared land rental, and your Second Life wedding on Thursday at 2 PM SLT.

That’s not how this works.

So if your current social strategy consists of teleporting into someone’s personal bubble, dropping a “Hi” like it’s a bomb, and waiting awkwardly while the other person contemplates muting you… Let’s fix that. Together. Gently. With love. And common sense.

🔥 Step 1: Stop saying “Hi” (Yes, really)

Okay, hear me out. It’s not that saying “hi” is bad. It’s just… ineffective. It’s the “hey” of the metaverse. A cold, meaningless, one-word message that leaves the recipient confused, mildly annoyed, and checking if you’ve already read my Second Life Etiquette post: 5 Ways to Get Muted, Blocked and Banned.

Instead, say something specific. Something relevant. Something that shows you’ve made at least a passing effort not to be an NPC. Compliment an outfit (appropriately), comment on the venue’s playlist, or ask where someone got their dancing corgi sidekick. Anything but the dreaded one-syllable opener.

🎯 Step 2: Actually read profiles.

Profiles. Those magical little scrolls of personality that Second Life has given us for free. Yet somehow, they’re still tragically underused by exactly the people who need them most.

Before approaching anyone, take 30 seconds to open their profile. You might find shared interests, warnings in all caps (“NO RP! NO RANDOM FRIEND REQUESTS!”), or subtle signs that they are not looking to be your BFF.

Even better: make your own profile friendly and inviting. A short bio, a joke, and a few things you like to do in-world. Maybe remove that one cringey quote you stole from my other post: Is That a Quote in Your Profile or a Cry for Help? Unless you want to remain alone forever. That’s fine too.

📣 Step 3: Group Chats Are Your Playground (Or Your Doom)

Joining active groups is the easiest way to meet people without being creepy. But beware: just like in high school, every group has vibes. Lurk a bit before jumping in. Observe the tone. Check if they use emojis like normal people or scream in CAPSLOCK like they’re possessed.

When you speak? Be kind. Be funny if you can. Be helpful if you know the answer. Don’t show up on your first day, drop your Marketplace link, or ask for a boyfriend/girlfriend. This is not Tinder.

Group chats are where friendships simmer. It’s the long game. Play it well.

💃 Step 4: Go Where Your People Are

Second Life is full of communities: music scenes, roleplay worlds, art collectives, sci-fi nerds, furries, virtual hikers, virtual drinkers (hi), and everything in between. Instead of standing alone at a club waiting for someone to notice your totally unique AO, go find people who like the weird stuff you like.

You’re into mermaid poetry readings? There’s a region for that.
You love virtual sailing? You’ll make friends and crash into them at sea.
You build miniature castles out of prims? You’re not alone; you just haven’t joined the group yet.

Friendships thrive where interests meet. Find your tribe.

🧘 Step 5: Start With Friendship (Really. Just Friendship.)

Not every encounter in Second Life needs to lead to a pixel-spouse, a Linden Family Home, and a full-blown storyline involving mesh babies and in-laws. In fact, most of the time? You just need a friend.

Start with connection. Real, platonic connection. Shared laughs. Exploring fun places together. Dancing badly at an 80s club. Getting stuck in a poseball and laughing about it for days. Building stuff. Breaking stuff. Helping each other rez prims in peace.

Second Life friendships can be deep, hilarious, loyal, and long-lasting, with no romance required. And if something more ever does grow from it? Great. But the strongest connections, romantic or otherwise, nearly always begin with genuine friendship.

So don’t lead with expectations. Lead with kindness, curiosity, and a good sense of humour. Sometimes a great friend is just… a great friend. And honestly, that’s more than enough.

🌟 Bonus Tips:

Be consistent. Show up. Comment on things. Respond to people.
Don’t over-message. If they’re not replying, assume they’re busy, not a villain.
Be kind, even when you don’t feel like it. Second Life is small. Word spreads.
Embrace the awkward. Everyone’s weird here. That’s kind of the point.

Second Life can be wildly fun and full of connection if you approach it like a human being and not like a lonely bot on a mission. So ditch the “Hi,” fix that profile, and go be someone’s favourite person in group chat today.

Or at least, someone they don’t mute.