Online dating is no longer viewed as a desperate measure to find company – just ask any tech savvy young person. The industry is expanding every day changing the landscape of dating and the concept of meeting new people.
Professionally run dating sites provide tips and advice on best practice online dating for when the time is right to meet someone offline…
Guard your anonymity, by not sharing too much personal information early on.
Wise advice when using online dating would suggest that people tend not to trust new people the have just met online, and will often utilize an alias email address.
Meet dates for the first time in a safe, public place for a short amount of time.
Make sure the person is who they say they are by checking out a selection of their photos or web camming before meeting.
Avoid contact with any person who is overly forward or sexually suggestive, they usually have an ulterior motive.
So with all these different tips for keeping safe, is online dating really that risky? The research around the place is mixed…
In the land of where online dating all began, America, further research into the implications sexual trends of showed an association with the spread of associated diseases.
Online data compiled from various ongoing research tells us that people are lulled into a false sense of security when online dating. Dating online also had the potential to removed the boundaries of realism and fantasy, and irresponsible casual sex was common.
Recent times have shown us just how real the fantasy world of online dating is. The fact of the matter is that the person you are talking to online is very real, that person is not fantasy, and would you feel just as comfortable engaging a total stranger as quickly if they were to approach you in the street?
As part of some Australian research into people’s online dating experiences, latrobe.edu.au – public health research project has been interviewing people online about whether they think online dating is risky and if they do think so, how they manage the risks. The research has also been investigating what issues and problems people have encountered.
In this project, researchers from Latrobe University encountered people who have picked up an STI from someone they’ve met online, however this also incuded people who have picked up STIs from meeting people elsewhere. Other respondents indicated they’ve had people try to scam them for money. One particular individual interviewed by Latrobe said she’d had her drink spiked from someone she’d met online, and others felt they’ve been stalked from people they’ve met online. These certainly aren’t great experiences, but experiences like this that can happen when you meet someone in a club or bar or at the gym or supermarket.
Most people indicated that online dating is as risky as meeting people any where else – that it’s just as risky as meeting someone in a bar or the supermarket. And most people feel confident they can manage any risks and situations they encounter.
People have different techniques for how they manage the risks. Some techniques I’ve heard about include having two different mobile numbers, having a friend take a picture of your date’s licence plate when you are picked up, and checking out your potential date’s Facebook or MySpace profile to see if they are who they say they are. One way or another most people have some kind of process they follow from initiating first contact online to actually meeting in person, in the hope that this will reduce any risks associated with meeting people online.
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