With the rise of new technologies, the search for love has been transformed and has given way to many applications and online dating sites that make it easy for users to find their “better half.”
Since establishing the first contact with a potential partner is easier, faster, and accessible with the help of the internet, more and more people are choosing this option.
Dating platforms can have many benefits, from choosing potential dates in advance while you’re at home or on the go, to avoiding awkward situations or disappointment with first approaches, as well as giving you a wide selection of people around you from whom you can choose.
But there are also real-life risks associated with online dating that can be avoided by taking a couple of precautions. Online dating should be safe and fun. Nonetheless, one must consider the following few steps before swiping right.
Top 5 Tips for a Safer Online Dating Experience
#1 Before you sign up
Before you even sign up for any dating platform, it’s important to review the privacy settings of all your social media accounts, not just the one you’ll use to connect to the dating platform.
Make sure information like where you live, your past or current jobs, schools you went to, and your photos are set to private. This information, combined with your first name and location (which is generally required by dating platforms), can be used to find more information about you online, information that you may not want strangers to know.
#2 When creating your account
When creating your online dating profile, carefully consider what information you want to include, such as where you work or your current job title.
Also, consider: “If I were in a bar, would I give this information to everyone there, or would I only give it to the people I talk to?”
This same thinking should be applied when deciding what information to include in your dating profile. Also, remember that a picture is worth a thousand words, so the photos you use may reveal more than you think.
Review the photos you are going to upload to your profile to avoid revealing where you live or places you frequently visit. Also, try to skip photos that include family or friends unless you have permission to use their photos on dating platforms.
#3 When talking to potential suitors
When chatting with potential dates, avoid revealing too much information before meeting them in person, as no one can really be sure who is behind an online profile.
Never reveal your email address, the name of your first pet, your mother’s maiden name, or the city where your parents met. As these are all common answers to security questions on online portals to verify identity in case of forgotten passwords and can be used to hack your other accounts.
Wait until you meet someone in person before adding them as friends on social networks, and avoid clicking on links they send you, especially if they are to download an application sent by people you don’t know.
It is seen many times that cybercriminals disguise themselves as attractive women using fake profiles, talking to men, and inviting them to follow the conversation on dating apps/platforms, thereby, unknowingly, downloading the malware onto their devices.
#4 When setting up a date in person
When choosing a location and activity for the first date, try to make it in a public place and meet your date at the chosen location.
You can also tell a friend or family member about the appointment and share your real-time location via Facebook Messenger or Whatsapp, so they know where you are until your meet-up is over.
Furthermore, when planning to meet for the first time, try to be in broad daylight for security reasons and in a public place, such as a restaurant, a shopping center, or a park where there are people. This will guarantee you a safe and pleasant first date.
#5 At the time of the date:
During the date, remember what your parents probably told you when you were younger: “Never get in the car with a stranger,” and feel free to end the date early if you feel uncomfortable about it.
If you detect that the person you are interacting with on your first date is in a way suspicious and is behaving the opposite he/she used to over chats or calls, it’s recommended not to get deep into a relationship with such people as they might be a wrong choice for you in the future.
Never hesitate to be honest about breaking up in such bizarre situations.
In a Crux
Searching for your partner on the internet might not work at first, but it is an effective way to meet people with the same interests, passions, and tastes without the need to leave home.
However, with the ongoing situations of frauds and cybercrime, one must not neglect the safety measures that are necessary to consider and implement before making a wrong decision in your life, especially at an early age.
Internet dating should be fun but must proceed on practical and realistic grounds. I hope these above-mentioned simple precautions can help protect you in your search for love, whether online or offline, being safe and secure.
