Online dating has had some good press and it's had its share of bad press. We watch the news and hear of some couple that met through one of the major online dating sites and are on their way to living happily ever after. Then the next day we hear of some sorry individual that was scammed by a less than scrupulous person. How do you tell the difference? How do you know whom to trust these days? It would be easy to just instruct people to always read the fine print when looking through personal ads or read between the lines, but that's not always that easy.
The internet is filled with con artists, but it's also filled with genuinely sincere people trying to meet someone special to share their life with. The key is in being able to tell the difference between the two. Because the internet has done such a wonderful job of bringing everyone in the world closer together, there's a lot deciphering we have to do to recognize the good and weed out the bad.
Online dating sites are often also called singles sites. However, just because they're single sites doesn't necessarily mean everyone on the site is single. Some of the major online dating sites have a pretty effective means of weeding out the married or shady individuals, but even they're not foolproof. The majority of the problems that arise from online dating sites are not due as much to the unscrupulous people as to the members not taking the time to exercise good sense. There are certain red flags to watch for on online dating sites.
There's an old saying if something seems too good to be true, it probably is, and this is so appropriate with online dating sites. Look at the profiles in front of you. Do they look real or do they look like professional shots? If they're trying to send you to another website, look out. If they just seem too smooth and too romantic, delete the profile and avoid or block the individual. The block tool is a very handy tool and prevents someone from contacting you if you don't want to hear from him or her.
One of the biggest precautions I tell people to take online is to avoid giving out too much personal information. It's very easy today to trace someone's cell phone number back to their home address. Until you actually get to know someone well, treat everyone you meet with doubt. You may be a trusting person by nature, so skepticism may come hard for you, but give it your best shot. It's for your own safety.
Online dating sites can be a lot of fun, mostly because you can expand your horizon and meet many new interesting people. By using good sense and better judgment, you may be on your way to a new and happy relationship.