Catch The Creeper: Online Dating Awareness
While looking for love online, you are sure to run into a few sketchy people. It is always important to remain safe and aware of any negative signs of possible danger or discomfort while finding Mr. Right. Instead of being blinded and naive to obvious danger, read below a few tips to stay remain alert during your online dating hunt.
1. Catfish: Sometimes who you are matching with and talking to are not who they say they are. Make sure you know exactly who you are talking to and what they look like. Your match should not be hesitant to tell you their real first name and offering more information about their identification. If your match refuses to give any information you are asking for to ensure they are who they say they are, you are being catfished.
2. Do Not Reveal Too Much: It is completely okay to feel you can trust your match with some information about yourself. Although, you don’t want to share too much information. Some things are meant to be private. Refrain from using your last name, address, and even your phone number. Build the trust before you provide any personal info about yourself.
3. Tell Someone : Before going on a date with someone, tell your friends or family - someone you trust, about your date. Inform them on who your match is, what their name is, what they look like, where you two will be going for your date and how long to expect you out. This is one of the most important tips we can offer! If anything were to happen and you fail to notify anyone of your location and whom you are hanging around, there will be no way to help you! We also recommend coming up with a simple code both yourself and your friend can understand.
4. Understanding Boundaries: You and your match should have a mutual understanding of your boundaries before and after going on a first date. Let them know the things you do not like and you do like. Whether that be physical boundaries or communicational boundaries, if those boundaries are not set then you can fall victim of abuse, discomfort and miscommunication.
5. Public Dates: Always be sure to arrange a date in a public place. Never, ever agree to a date where you can be taken away from any possibilities of help. A public date can include a movie, dinner, a bar, a walk near the lake. Do not agree to do anything in a private setting, too many unexpected and unfortunate things could happen.
6. Trust Your Gut: Ladies, your gut has the best judgement! If you feel your intuition telling you that you should not do something or you do not feel comfortable then trust it! Do not ignore the gut feeling.
7. Watch Their Behavior: Be sure to watch the behavior and body language of your date. There are tell-tale signs that you are not in a safe environment and this match is not considering your boundaries. Be aware and notice the odd quirks and ticks your date has and determine whether you are safe or not.
Online dating can be a fun and successful experience. We encourage everyone to start their journey for love through online dating, but we also encourage safety. We do not want harm to come to anyone. Following the tips above will be sure to keep your safe and aware through your online dating journey. Keep these tips in mind while communicating online and while going on dates.