Saturday, January 12, 2008

The Dangers of Online Dating

Online dating is rapidly becoming one of the most common ways for potential couples to get together. Most of us know at least one person who is an active participant in internet dating, and this method of meeting a partner has opened up a whole new avenue for people who, for one reason or another, struggled to meet partners. Internet dating is now a billion dollar business, and the major sites are thoroughly professional and offer a fantastic service. However, we keep hearing about horror stories relating to online dating.

One of the most common issues is that people can misrepresent themselves online. This can range from people who lie about their height by an inch or so, to people whose aim is to con others out of money. There are also the people who lie about their marital status. There is the chance of meeting these types of people in an offline situation, but with internet dating, you usually build an online relationship with a person before you meet them. It is much easier for someone to misrepresent themselves via email than it is through personal contact. Once the relationship has its foundations set online, it becomes much easier for the rogue dater to continue the charade when they eventually meet offline.

One way to avoid being duped by this sort of person is to mentally ‘wipe the slate clean’ when you meet for the first time. Pretend to yourself that this is the first time you have communicated, and allow yourself to build an impression based on your first meeting rather than previous written communication. As previously mentioned, it is much harder to pull the wool over someone’s eyes in the flesh than it is in the virtual world.

Another tip for avoiding weirdo’s if you are inexperienced in online dating is to join one of the bigger sites. These sites tend to be harder to join due to the volume of information they require from their members. The more free text you have to enter to join the site, the less likely it is that some crook will be prepared to do the same. Not when there are a thousand other sites which are a lot easier to join. As you get more experienced in online dating, you will learn how to spot the dodgy dates quickly, so don’t rule out the less established dating sites altogether.

Online dating can be a great way to meet a potential partner. However, as with most things in life there is the risk that you might encounter some unsavory characters in the process. Making yourself aware of the potential risks is the best way to avoid the dangers of internet dating, rare though they are.

By
JULIE WESTBROOK
Source: http://www.amazines.com/Dating/article_detail.cfm/396744?articleid=396744

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