It seems like my social skills are getting worse the more I talk with people. I didn't really have many friends in middle school but, but my friend group has rapidly expanded since high-school. Even though I am around a lot of people everyday, the more I feel I don't understand them. I though I had decent social skills untill I went to college.
Even though my friends constantly joke with me, it's almost always feels difficult to navigate the joke. I etheir act like there serious or try to smile, but none of it seems natural. It doesn't help that I constantly have to ask my friends to repeat themselves because I literally don't understand what they are saying. They are speaking English, but it sometimes takes a long time to actually understand what they just said. It's also hard to keep track of what I am saying and what I want to say making some sentences I say incomplete. My friends also say I space out constantly, but sometimes, it's just my terrible eye contact or me trying to listen to the conversation for an entry point. It's also hard for me to continue most conversations because I enjoy listening to people and forget to talk.
The only reason I know any of these problems is because my best friend revealed some of these problems to me on many occasions. I try to fix some of these things by asking more questions and/or acting goofy, but the disconnect doesn't seem to be closing. What other methods should I use to be a better communicator and a better friend?