Everything is networking!
I am super socially anxious. And when I get nervous, my usual response is hyperactivity, with a side order of lack of focus. I will literally run into a swamp to avoid interacting with people. This makes cocktail parties a kind of hell, and “networking events” a way to go right back to grade school. I wind up standing in a corner, looking puzzled, until I go home and cry in the bathroom. Clearly I am doomed, right?
Nope! Because I wrote/write a lot of fanfic, and interacted with other fanfic authors in a low-pressure, “we are all in this together” way. We became friends because we became friends, not because we were useful to one another. And one of those other authors introduced me to my agent, who she knew through conventions. And the beat goes on.
You can absolutely network in whatever sideways, idiosyncratic manner works best for you. I promise no one is grading.