>>213086496 (OP)Get a pet cat. I avoided that for a long time because it seemed like I'd become a stereotype. Now I don't care if I am. Having a cat has cured my loneliness entirely, I don't care if it's maladaptive it beats languishing in despair and anguish.
>>213086572It's extremely difficult. In my years and years of using internet I only made 2 real online friends. The problem is by nature online relationships are way more disposable and low investment. It's only sheer luck and timing for an online relationship to actually grow into a genuine life long friendship. But you can easily make tons of online acquaintances. Only solution is just straight up numbers game. The key is consistency, and actually engaging and taking interest in people's lives. Everyone wants to vent from time to time and the benefit of online anonymity is its easier to open up or say things you can't to anyone irl. Still, at any given moment someone can just log out and never log back on.