How to Stay Safe When Online Dating

With technology becoming more a part of our lives, some people have turned to the internet to help them find someone special. A lot of our lives are given over to our online presence including Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. It means that for the first time, someone can see your online persona before they even talk to you. Although in most cases, this is innocent, there are occasions when this can become more serious. That is why it is important to stay safe online, particularly when you are thinking about starting online dating.

Which Site is the Best?

There are a lot of dating sites out there, and choosing the right one might be tricky. Do a little research to find out a little more about each site. Check out the reviews from other users to see what they think. If you have friends that have used dating sites, then ask them for their recommendation. They can also help you to rule out those that are not so good. Once you have chosen a site, make sure that it has a subscription section. Although you can use many dating sites for free for certain functions, you want to be sure that the person you are talking to is there for a date and not just having fun. Taking the time to pay and subscribe shows a certain amount of commitment.

Setting Up Your Profile

When you have found the site you want to use, add your details and a good photo that shows your face. If someone messages you and they don’t have a face on their profile, they might just be shy, but take time to be sure. You will want to put some details about yourself, although, you should avoid mentioning too much personal stuff in your profile. There is plenty of opportunities to do that with someone who messages you. If you are having problems writing about yourself, ask a good friend to help you. Ask them to tell you what your best qualities are and what they like about you. It might feel strange, but then you can put that on your profile.

Responding to Messages

Many people get messages from all types of people; some may not be suitable, so it is best not to get involved in a conversation. If someone messages you that interests you, then check out their profile before replying, that way, you will not only know a little more about them, but you will have questions to ask. It also shows that you took the time to read about them. It is best to just make conversation at first so you can see what they are like and if they are an interesting person. After a while, if they are still chatting, you can ask more questions about them and see what your common interests are.

Don’t Be Afraid To Check Them Out

Because you have just met someone online, you will want to make sure they are who they claim to be. You can do this in numerous ways. However, the easiest is to put them in a search engine like Google and see what comes up. You will probably see a lot of people with similar names, but you can still have a look to see if you find them. There is also a way that you can search by the image; this is a good way to see if the same persons face is linked to other social media accounts. If they are, it might be a fake profile using the same face.

Be Sensible and Think Ahead

If you meet someone on a dating site and they send you their Facebook profile, you should be cautious at first. They might be genuine, but, you should take a look at their photos. Do they show different settings and have family members in them? If they all look the same or look staged, then this could be a signal that it might be fake. Also, take a look at their friends, if they only have a few friends, but have been on the site for a while, this could also be cause for concern.

Meeting Up

After a while of chatting, you might start to message on your phones or via text to make things easier. While this is a good way to move forward, you might want to use an email address that isn’t your main one, that way if things don’t work out, they don’t have your main email address. If you do agree to meet up, it is important to meet in a public place such as a bar or restaurant so that you are in a safe area. You should also let people know where you are going and with whom. Another good idea is to have someone available to pick you up if you need them that will prevent you walking home alone.

Be Cautious with Your Love Life

As you progress, you may be getting along well and be thinking of starting a relationship. It is important that you are always careful and ensure that the man wears protection. If the relationship is serious, you can always agree to be tested for any STD’s as a precaution. There is free STD testing near you that you can use to make sure you are both healthy. If they are genuinely serious, they will not object, and if they do, at least you will know that it might be a cause for concern.

Finding someone online is a lot safer than it was a few years ago. Now, most dating sites have many checks in place to ensure only genuine people are on the site. The important thing to remember is that you have to be safe and careful at least at first, to ensure you are not speaking with someone who is playing games. Then you should meet someone special just as many others do.