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Taking a Gamble with Chat Roulette

The Internet’s newest pastime falls somewhere between strange live performance art,  unfiltered exhibition and video chat slot machine. Chat Roulette brings you face to face with an instant stranger, which you may click away at anytime with the “next” button, pairing you with another random video chat partner.

The Chat Roulette pool is a virtual grab bag of people–from people who don strange masks to people who wear nothing at all. Still, despite the  shenanigans abound in the Chat Roulette universe, it has fast become a valuable pastime.

For college students, Chat Roulette can be used as a mere time-waster, or an easy way of connecting with other college students all around the world. But first, you have to sift through the insanity. Navigating Chat Roulette takes patience. You never know what to expect when you click the “next button,” although live masturbation is not an uncommon occurrence. These people don’t make the best chat partners, as they are more into the “performance” aspect than the social aspect. “Next” away.

Your next partner could very well be some baby-faced teen in their room with loud music playing. Being so young, you might as well “next” them as you probably don’t have anything in common with a middle school student, unless you specifically logged on to find more Twilight fans. There will always be the people who want to see you strip down. Your choice on this matter. However, don’t expect a lot of conversation because often the chat goes from introductions to flashing in a matter of minutes.

While clicking through the chat windows, look out for rooms with drab, concrete walls.These are probably dorm rooms. From there, the conversations come naturally with questions like “where do you go to school?” and “what’s your major?” Chatting up other college students has left me with some valuable advice on things like switching my major and homesickness. Since there are so many students on Chat Roulette, you might even find someone who goes to your school.

People from different countries often make the best chat partners as they offer a glimpse into a different culture. People from Asia are very prevalent, so if you are studying abroad there or you’re from there, Chat Roulette offers the perfect chance to get acquainted with or reconnect with the culture. Study abroad students can find a virtual gold mine in Chat Roulette. People from Europe are always eager to talk about the sights and sounds of their hometowns. Talking to a pair of lads from London earned me  some good advice on sightseeing – skip Abbey Road, but definitely check out Big Ben.

Once you log on to Chat Roulette, there are a few things to keep in mind. You should expect that most people are looking to chat with the opposite sex, so don’t get offended if you are “next” because of your gender. You should expect that if a group of people show up in your chat window, they will probably be rowdy, maybe drinking and maybe want you to flash so dealing with them might be a strain. Be aware of how much time you are spending on Chat Roulette. It’s definitely as addicting as actual roulette. Don’t get offended if you are “next.” Think of how many people you had to “next.” Also, as always with your Internet dealings, be careful of your personal information.

And finally, expect the unexpected. Chat Roulette is really what you make it. You can log on if you’re bored and need a laugh, or with patience and tact, you can find a sane person and good conversation. Check out this site for some wacky chatroulette.com screenshots.