It seems like almost every day another new online dating site is created. Because online dating is available 24/7, 365 day a year, it involves millions of people across the globe. With online dating so popular today, it's more important than ever for individuals to have some guidelines and tips to make this the safe and pleasant experience it was meant to be. Here are some simple tips and ideas to help you get all you can get out of your online dating adventure, especially if you're new to this exciting pastime.
Avoid Giving Out Personal Information
Make sure your personal information remains private. There really is a reason why it's called personal information. It's personal; it's private and should not be given out to virtual strangers. Until you actually know this individual, they could be anyone. All you really know is what they've told you and a picture they may have shown you.
Although we all want to believe the best in people and give them the benefit of the doubt, make them earn your trust first. We're constantly hearing horror stories about the internet. The best way you can avoid becoming part of these stories is to be safe. If you meet someone and things don't work out, at least they can't contact you if they don't have all your personal information.
Be Careful with Pictures
Most online profiles include at least one picture, particularly with online dating sites. Be very selective with pictures you use on your profiles. Make sure there are not names by the pictures that may give out more information than you would like such as school names, cities, etc. A good rule of thumb is do not give out any pictures that you would not want your family to see plastered all over the internet.
Keep Private Information Secure
We've all been warned not to give out our social security numbers to anyone. The same goes with important online information with online dating sites. Regardless of how trustworthy someone may seem, keep all your passwords and ids private. If you use the same password for every site, make sure it's a unique password that's almost impossible to guess. With so many people using online banking and credit card access, if you use the same passwords and lose them to a stranger, the result could be the same as handing them your wallet.
Use Good Judgment
From the time we were little, our parents tried to teach us to be smart, careful and trust our instincts. With internet dating, it's more important than ever to use good judgment.