How to Look for Your Childhood Friend Online

Life is a myriad of transitions from one phase to another. As we grow old and mature, we change. We go to college, find jobs, settle down, and in the process, leave many friendships behind. It is hard to keep tabs on friends when you do not live near them anymore. Everyone has recurring memories of their past, and sometimes we want to reconnect with them. 

If you know what resources to utilize, the internet makes finding an old buddy a lot easier than it ever was. Here are some ideas on how to track down and get in touch with some of those old acquaintances.

• Social Media Platforms

Social media has rapidly grown to be the main means of staying in touch with friends. Billions of people worldwide use it to connect and exchange information making it an ideal place to locate a childhood friend. With such a database of users, keeping contact and tracking old acquaintances to reconnect with becomes effortless. 

Facebook, for instance, allows its users to include information on their profiles about previous institutions and employment history, which you can use to look up someone. Searching a person by their name, location, or any other relevant information on Facebook is the fastest way to find them. The site’s search engine tries to match your search string across millions of profiles on the platform in seconds.  If this is unsuccessful, you can explore other social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat.

• Online People Search Websites

Perhaps the most effective technique to find a long-lost friend or family member online is through people searching websites. Hence, this is the perfect spot for you if you are wondering how to find that childhood buddy you desire to reconnect with. Even with just the person’s name, email address, or physical address, you still stand a high chance of finding them.

One of the advantages of utilizing people search sites is the speed of finding details, which can be instant. The best part is that you may access them for free! However, most sites will charge a fee for comprehensive and more in-depth findings.

• Reverse Phone Lookup Services

If you think about finding someone’s detailed information using just their phone number, it seems impossible. This is why we have reverse phone lookup sites. Do you still have your childhood friend’s number? Take advantage of PhoneHistory unique data mining capability to get comprehensive information on their current contact info. Enter the phone number in the search area and uncover the person’s identification, including their name, address, and other vital details. You’ll be amazed by how simple, quick, and efficient this is.

• LinkedIn

Nearly one billion people are using LinkedIn for professional and business networking worldwide. That notwithstanding, you can still use it to locate your childhood buddy, especially if they’re on the platform seeking career opportunities. So, you can utilize LinkedIn to learn more about someone if you know what they studied or their profession. The fact that it is free is a plus. You can also look them up with their names and see what the results hold for you.  

• Federal Public Records

Searching through public records is another underrated technique for locating and re-establishing contact with an old friend. Any information you may have on your childhood buddy comes in handy on these online records. These databases typically contain comprehensive information about individuals, such as addresses, emails, ages, current occupations, and contacts, making it easier to find someone. This data makes it simple to get in touch with them again, especially if they constantly update their information online. Unfortunately, getting access to someone’s federal data is challenging if that person is in a different state than you. 

• Google

Have you considered just typing the person’s name into Google before wasting time on other options? Google remains the most effective search engine. You can simply key in your buddy’s name in the search bar and see what information you can get. Another criterion to narrow down your search is to include more details in the search other than just the name. There is a high possibility you will discover something about them, especially if they have been active online.

• School Database

If worse comes to worst and you can locate your buddy’s former school where they graduated, this can go a long way in finding them. Whether they are still in college or grad school or have already completed their studies, you can easily find their details in the school database. Not all colleges provide this info, but you would rather try than fail to try if your friendship bond goes that deep. Moreover, you can also contact the school directly to verify the information you get elsewhere.

• Reach Out to Mutual Friends

Try looking into your mutual friends online. Chances are, in ten mutual friends, you will likely find one that is still in contact with them or knows their whereabouts. Despite being a long shot, it has the best outcomes, especially if you are still in touch with one of your mutual friends. This will make it easier as they are likely to be in contact with this buddy.  

• Find Alumni Groups Online

Another effective way is to reach out to your buddy’s institution or workplace’s alumni network. Alumni organizations are a common thing across the world and, therefore, a great place to locate lost friends. Moreover, whether or not you find your buddy in the alumni network, you can meet someone with quality leads. 

• Using Obituaries

Obituaries may seem depressing, but they can be a last resort to finding your childhood friend. Even though this is a worst-case scenario, it’s still a possibility that your acquaintance is no longer alive, which would explain why you’re having problems finding them. On the other hand, you can also find an obituary of a close family member, which can give you clues about their whereabouts. Fortunately, there are several websites for this purpose, which will enable you to look for someone far and wide.

Conclusion

Thanks to the internet, your lost childhood best friend is just a click away. There’s no need to worry if you’re no longer in touch or close. Several resources are available to help you find and reconnect with your homeboy or girl with a few steps. Take advantage of the evolving social network and people search tools to reunite with your long-lost friend.