Online dating is popular everywhere now. You’d be hard-pressed to find a town, big or small, that didn’t have a significant number of people participating in online dating.
Just because it’s ubiquitous, though, doesn’t mean it’s safe. Sure, you want to find love, and sometimes that requires that you create an online profile, but there are some do’s and don’t of online dating that you should understand before you put yourself out there.
We’re going to discuss five safety tips in this article, helping you stay out of danger while you’re searching for the one.
Online Dating Safety: 5 Tips to Keep in Mind
Contrary to popular belief, a lot of the safety measures you need to take come before you even meet someone for a date on a free dating site.
There’s a lot of personal information revealed in your profile, which is where we’ll start.
1. Keep Things to the Point
Who knows who could be prowling through your profile trying to identify where you live or work? It’s best to keep the information on your profile contained to the absolute necessities.
You can still express pieces of yourself, but make sure that no one can identify where you work, live, or hangout. For example, don’t mention that you go to a particular diner at 8 am on a particular day of the week.
It’s great to give people the benefit of the doubt, but it’s tough to trust everyone with such information when your dating pool is so large.
2. Don’t Reveal Your Number or Email Address
Most dating applications allow a person to continue messaging through that platform. You don’t have to give your number or email address out until after a few dates, for example.
It’s important to keep that information private before you get to know someone. You never know how emotionally stable someone is or whether they would use that information to constantly talk to you or harass you.
3. Let Friends Know Where You are
Any time you go on a first date with someone you met online, let a friend know where you are going and what time to expect a call back from you.
If you start to get an uncomfortable feeling or think that you might be in danger, you can call that person as an excuse to leave the date. You could even have them standing by at a local hangout to come to pick you up if you need them to.
Don’t go out on an online date alone. Make sure someone knows who you’re going out with and when you expect the date to end.
4. Utilize Security Features
Dating apps are increasing security measures and verification methods. Things like facial verification can ensure that you’re meeting with someone who exists and you aren’t getting catfished.
Additionally, technology is coming out that checks in on you when you go out on a date and ensures that you’re physically safe. It’s important to use this technology when it’s available to you.
5. Communicate before You Meet
A great way to verify that you’re meeting with a real person is to call or video chat with them before you meet.
This ensures that you aren’t tricked and can expect to meet with the person you saw on the screen. You can also get an impression of your conversation and decide if you want to take things further.
Need More Advice?
There’s a lot of changes happening in the world of online dating and relationships, and we’re here to help.
Explore our site for more information on how to move forward in the digital age.
