Online Dating: Perks and Precautions

We’ve all heard of those websites that promise you’ll find the love of your life. Nowadays, they make finding a partner seem like going shopping at the grocery store. You have a list of the things you want, and you pick and choose the people who meet those criteria. There are all kinds of websites that cater to the type of relationship you’re looking for, whether you’re younger, older, or anywhere in between. I’ve even heard of a site for old farmers to find the right person to water their garden.

 

If you’ve considered the idea of online dating, I say why not give it a shot? I’ve tried it personally, and it worked well enough for me. You really can’t knock anything until you try it. However, just like anything else, there are upsides as well as downsides and precautions you need to take when setting up a profile on an online dating site.

Let’s start with the good, shall we? Perks of online dating: You can find a site that’s right for you that suits your desires. There are sites that are both free and sites that charge on a monthly basis. I’ve only ever experienced a free site. I guess it all depends on what you are looking for. If you are in hopes of finding something potentially serious, I would suggests avoiding the free sites. Often times, there are only people there looking for something not so serious or don’t tend to take it as seriously.

Another upside to online dating is that it’s pretty convenient. I know that many people are constantly running around, whether it’s for work or school or anything else life throws your way. With online dating, you can look at profiles of people who live in your area that you might not have met or noticed otherwise. You can browse and send messages at your convenience, and can pick and choose the qualities you’re looking for in a potential partner. The site will then match you with people with those qualities listed, as well as similar interests. It makes dating easier, quicker, and fits in with today’s technological culture.

As with anything else, there are always precautions you should take if you decide to give online dating a try. First and foremost, do not post anything super personal on your page. Your address, phone number and social security number are all things that have absolutely no place on the internet. If a site asks for any of these things in your biography or warns that they will appear anywhere on your profile, it is probably bogus. Your safety and personal information is always what should be kept at the forefront of concerns when it comes to having any type of profile online, especially when online dating.

We’ve all heard of the hit television show ‘Catfish’ on MTV. Catfishing is when someone uses the pictures, information and identity of someone else to hide who they really are. Unfortunately, today this is a prominent and relevant issue on any type of social media site. There are plenty of hints and clues that may point towards someone not being who they say they are. Before meeting anyone you meet on the internet out in public, I would suggest that you ask them to Skype, FaceTime or Oovoo with you. In that situation, if they agree, you can be reassured that the person you are talking to online is the person who is really in the pictures. If the person constantly refuses or makes excuses as to why they can’t or don’t want to, it’s safe to assume that something is up. Also, if they refuse to meet up with you face to face, there is definitely something wrong. This could include outright saying no, or having them cancel consistently after plans are continually made. Try not to make the mistake of giving someone too much of yourself or your information before seeing them on Skype, etc. or in person. Once information about yourself is on the internet or in someones hands, they can do with it as they please. Like I said before, no matter what you are looking for, your safety and well being should always be a priority.

 

As scary as the precautions may sound, it’s not that hard to be safe and smart on the internet. If you’re curious about online dating, I say why not? It could be a new experience. If it works, great! If not, at least now you know. Just take the time to do your research on what kind of site may or may not work best for you, be patient, be careful, and see where things go. You never know!