Before that night, none of us had ever actually been on Chatroulette, a website on which randomly selected strangers video chat until one of them decides to click the "Next" button and start a new conversation with a new person. During each conversation, participants can also instant message one another.
While I had never tried Chatroulette before a week ago, a few friends who had been on the website warned me that I should hover my cursor near the "Next" button at all times, always be prepared for unexpected nudity, and have a quick, sharp retort ready for those random strangers who ask to see MUCH more than just your face.
Even after that warning, the optimistic side of me still hoped and partially believed that I wouldn't encounter that much nudity or that many vulgar requests.
Boy, was I wrong.
During the two hours we spent on Chatroulette, my friends and I improved our reflexes by pressing the "Next" button as quickly as possible once we saw a questionable or crude image on screen. From signs held up that read, "Boobs?" to private parts suddenly flashing across my computer screen, unfortunately, we saw it all.
Most of my friends who said they've been on Chatroulette also specified that after they have a few unpleasant encounters in a row, they leave the website. But what kept my friends and I on Chatroulette for two hours was pure determination; we refused to believe that there wasn't someone on the website who wanted to just have a good conversation.
And as luck would have it, we were right.
My friends and I have a few good experiences on Chatroulette.
First, we met a sophomore in high school with whom we chatted about our respective locations, ages, and what we liked to do in our spare time. While the sophomore boy was sweet, he was four years our junior and we had a hard time holding a conversation with someone who we didn't have a lot in common with, so we said, "Bye," and pressed, "Next."
Probably one of the best conversations we had was with a senior engineering major at the University of Connecticut. Not only was the senior handsome, but he was charming and fun to talk to. We compared locations, ages, majors, schools, pets, interests, hobbies, sports, and more. The only problem with our conversation was that our partner's microphone wasn't working, so while he could hear us, we couldn't hear him, so he had to instant message his answers to us. When we finally ran out of things to talk about, we said, "Bye," and moved on to the next person.
In addition to our friend in Connecticut, that night we met people in Reno, Nevada; Hawaii; Seattle, Washington; Oregon; northern California; Montana; Albany, New York; Washington D.C.; and even the Netherlands!
While my friends and I enjoyed our time on Chatroulette, the website itself kept freezing—sometimes, when we were viewing unpleasant images that we were frantically trying to "Next"—and we felt awkward when conversations lulled or we learned that we were talking to someone significantly older or younger than us.
Despite the unpleasantness, I'd say that overall, my friends and I had a good time meeting new people. I think that everyone should log onto Chatroulette at least once in their life, but should do so with caution; you never know what you may encounter.
