Is My Friend Flirting With Me Online?

Dear eNotAlone: I am confused and have no idea what's going on. I recently started texting a friend to catch up and we've been messaging each other almost every day since then. At first, it was just friendly chit chat but then he started sending me funny memes and quizzes. I wasn't sure if he was flirting or just being nice, but then he expressed that he wanted to meet up sometime soon. In the past, he has dated people and so I'm not sure if this is something he normally does with friends or if he's actually interested. We haven't talked about it, but can you help clarify if he's flirting with me or if our conversations are just platonic?

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It sounds like your conversations with this guy could be flirty, but ultimately it's hard to know if his intentions are truly romantic without talking to him directly. However, to make sure that your interactions remain platonic, it might benefit you to keep any flirty jokes or jokes of a suggestive nature out of the conversation unless you want to explore a potential relationship. If your conversations keep trending in a more flirtatious direction, it could be a good idea to proactively bring the topic up to get a better understanding of where he stands.

The best way to tell if these conversations are platonic or if they are heading towards something different would be to take cues from his body language and nonverbal behavior. Pay attention to the tone of his messages and notice if he gives compliments or tries to start conversations with you often. He also might try to keep the conversations between the two of you going or express interest in meeting up with you in person. If any of these things seems to be happening, it's a strong indication that he's flirting with you.

That being said, the only real way to know for sure is to talk about it openly and honestly with him. It could feel a bit awkward but if you're straightforward and honest, it should go better than you think. Start by expressing how you feel in general and let him know what kind of relationship you're looking for - whether it's strictly friend or something a bit more. His response should give you some clarity on the matter and provide a good starting point for further conversations.