At present, teenagers are likely to make friends from online rather than meeting outdoor person face-to-face. In my opinion, this is because they spent most of their times on the internet. To mitigate this issue parents should limit their screen time, and foster them to hangout with their friends.
One of the common reasons why teenagers are more active in meeting friends through online is that they spent much times on the internet. Various kinds of social media platforms such as Facebook, Tiktok, Messenger and other online games are designed for the users to make new friends. Therefore, teenagers who frequently use social media platforms are easily access to these websites to build relationship. Yound people feel that it is more convinent for them to make friends via online without going anywhere and therefore, they spend most of their time on the internet.
However, there are some measures to solve this issue. First and foremost, parents and guidances should limit the usage of their children screen time. By doing this, teenagers may spend less of their time on the internet and pay more attention on the reality world. Additionally, parents should facilicate them to go out with their friends. This can not only make them to meet new friends from out door, but also can facilicate thier communication skills. For example, a recent study from China presented that teenagers who frequently hang out with their friends to the shopping malls or cafés tend to get new companions, and meet new people.
In conclusion, over-usage of social media is the main reason why teenagers want to make friend through online. However, I believe that encouraging teenagers to go out with peers and limitting their screen time can assist them to meet person from the outdoor.