How To Initiate An Online Friendship Without Coming Off As Creepy

The Internet gives us what we need, when we need it—groceries, dates, and now, our pals. In fact, friend-finder app MeetMe revealed in a new survey of 11,000 global users that 65 percent of women in the U.S. have an online friend who they consider "close" and "can share pretty much anything with" but have never physically hung out with. 

RELATED: How Friendship Changes in Your 20s, 30s, and 40s 

Want to initiate a friendship with someone online? Here's how to do it without coming off as creepy.

Start by friend-flirting. Compliment her latest tweet in an @-reply, or respond to her latest Tumblr, then pose a more specific question about it via direct message to break the ice. 

Bring something to the table. Make it funny and/or meaningful: If you bonded over The Bachelor, message her an article about it, or tweet at her during the show. If you met in a support community—say, for a certain health condition—don't be afraid to put yourself out there and post about your rough day; it could encourage her to do the same, allowing you both to get to know each other better. (Kick-start your new, healthy routine with Women’s Health’s 12-Week Head-to-Toe Transformation!)

RELATED: What 8 Women Learned From Breaking Up With Their BFFs 

Take it to the next level. If you have been chatting online for a month and started sharing personal info (apart from your mutual interest), ask her—operative word: ask—if she'd be up for texting or talking on the phone or via Skype. But understand that some online friends want to keep it strictly social media-based.

Be safe. Before you meet in person, Skype at least once to make sure she is who she says she is. Tell your family or pals where you're going, and check in once you're there. Convene in a group to lessen the pressure.

Source: Kathleen Smith, therapist and author of The Fangirl Life: A Guide to All the Feels and Learning How to Deal

For stories of real women who've forged online friendships, pick up the November issue of Women's Health, on newsstands now.