Online dating
M
illions
of people of all ages have tried Internet dating services as a way to
meet new friends and possibly find a lifelong partner. It's a great
way to get acquainted with people you would never have met otherwise.
When done with caution, online dating may even be safer than meeting
people in the "real" world because you have more time to
get to know someone before meeting him or her in person.
Dating
online requires you take steps to protect yourself. The first rule of
thumb is to trust your instincts when interacting with a potential
date. Select your online dating service carefully. Look for an
established, popular site with plenty of members and a philosophy
that matches your own.
Here
are some other safety tips.
Maintain
anonymity to
protect your identity. Don’t include your full name, phone
number, where you work, or detailed location information in your
profile or during early communications with potential dates. Stop
communicating with anyone who presses you for this type of
information.
Use the e-mail system provided by the
dating service rather than your own e-mail address to maintain your
privacy.
Be smart about choosing profile
pictures.
Make sure your photos reflect what you want to say about yourself.
Provocative pictures may attract the wrong people. Make sure that
your images do not contain identifying information such as nearby
landmarks or a T-shirt with your school or company logo.
Check to see if a potential date has
a good reputation among other daters on the service.
Be
realistic. Read the profiles of others with skepticism. As you
correspond or talk on the phone, ask questions, seek direct answers,
and note any inconsistencies. Look for danger signs such as a
display of anger, an attempt to control you, disrespectful comments,
or any physically threatening or otherwise unwelcome behavior.
If a person becomes abusive, report
it and block that person from contacting you again using the dating
site settings.
When you decide to meet, create a
safe environment. Keep first dates short, and agree to meet in a
public place during a busy time of day, Make sure somebody knows
where you’re going. If your date doesn’t look like his
or her photo, walk away and report that person to the dating
service,
If a date asks you for a loan or any
financial information, no matter how sad the hard luck story, it is
virtually always a scam and
you should report it.
Formal
dating sites are not the only places that people meet, and teaching
online dating safety is particularly critical to protecting teens.
Teens are becoming active online daters from as early as 14 years of
age.
