Online Dating and Romance: How to Be Safe and Be Successful

Online dating is certainly alive and well!  If you are have any doubts consider how many times your television watching is interrupted by advertisements for dating companies such as eHarmony, Lava Life, etc. .  In the past it seemed that looking for dates and perhaps love online was viewed by most people as rather "kinky", however now we see that this practice is becoming very accepted and wide-spread.  Online romance is not gender specific , nor is it age-specific, as we see males and females ranging in ages from teens to senior citizens all getting caught up in this new age world of electronic romance.

This begs the question, just how safe is dating and romance on the Internet?  No longer are you meeting a potential date face to face and getting that often very valuable, "first impression", instead you are meeting through  technology in the world of cyberspace.  That first encounter or first interaction between two people that sets the stage for the development of common interests, a friendship, and what may eventually blossom into a romance has now been replace by this shady void where no one may really be who they claim to be.

Most of us have heard the horror stories that have circulated about cyber-stalkers, where perverted individuals have taken on false identities to lure teens or young women and men into their clutches, or incidences of adults posing as teens to infiltrate chat rooms or even scamers creating bogus credentials to steal your money.  Clearly the Internet attracts "the good, the bad, and the ugly" and there is no reason to believe that these types of people are not lurking in the cyberworld of dating online.

Are there any ways that a person looking for romance on the Internet can protect themselves from being targeted or victimized by those individuals seeking to damage and destroy through online relationships rather than creating and nurturing love and romance? Often a good starting point is to simply use our common sense to ensure our safety if we are going to be seeking companionship and trying to build a relationship using the Internet.  Some common sense guidelines to safe online dating or romance on the Internet include:

1. Never use your real name when sending e-mails, writing your profile, or participating in chat rooms on a dating site.

2. Never give your real name or address to strangers you meet on-line.

3. Never provide your home phone number, instead provide a cell phone number if you are exchanging numbers. If you are calling a stranger for the first time, block your number before calling.

4. Never provide personal information that can give an on-line stranger clues to where you actually live or work.

5. Never agree to meet an on-line acquaintance for the first time in an isolated area such as your place, their place, in a park or parking lot.  Insist meeting in a location with many other people around such as a public restaurant and make sure that you tell a friend or relative exactly where you are meeting, the time, and when to expect you back home.  It is extremely important to stick to this plan on the first time date for your own safety!

In the world of online dating and romance, you can never stop thinking about your own protection especially if you are a woman.  Does this mean people should never consider using the Internet to search for dating or romance on-line, of course not!  Just make sure that you are well informed and exercise personal caution in your quest for on-line romance.