Social Networking And Safe Dating

The internet has transformed the dating world completely. People no longer need to be in close vicinity to each other in order to cultivate relationships and date. With the internet people from across the globe not only meet but also successfully engage in relationships though they are far from each other. The social media especially has made it easy for people to meet and develop friendships that culminate in a dating relationship despite the distance between them. Social media dating allows people to know more of each other, develop close friendships and even successful relationships that culminate in marriage over long distances or even close by. On the other hand, the same social media could expose you to many dangers. The dating profiles handed in by applicants on the internet, often include a lot of exaggerated and misrepresented information which could put you in danger. Often people have found themselves engaged in crimes they were not aware of, put in risky positions or having been conned of their money and other resources. For this reason people engaged in online dating via social media such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are advised to practice safe dating. Safe dating is the process by which individuals pick the people they wish to develop true friendships and dating relationships. The term safe dating comes from the procedures used to create a safe environment avoiding dangers such as rape, robbery, abuse and in extreme cases murder. There are a few steps that one can take to ensure that the online dating environment is safe for them and their belongings.

The most basic information is to never give up personal information about you online. this especially includes your address which would be easy for unscrupulous fellows to track. In the news we often hear of people who were attacked, and kidnapped from their own homes. Many individuals often wonder how their personal information became known to these criminals. The truth is actually very simple whereas sharing your personal information on the social media may seem like a good idea by making yourself more available to suitors; it also exposes you to more than enough people who are out to harm you. It is often safe to in fact hide your real identity and instead rely on pseudonyms to identify yourself. This way people who are only in the site to harm you will find it hard to harm you. It is also quite risky to give up your communication means such as home number, office number and cell phone number in the social media sites. Not only will you be exposing yourself to harassment through unwanted calls but there are some people who can use this information to track you down and harm you and your family. Stalkers and other harassers often use the phone numbers to track down victims and make life difficult for them. In order to communicate with suitors on the social media, it is safer for yourself and others in your life to rely on emails or chats on the social media channels.

There are social media sites that actually require you to hand in an entry fee in order to gain access to the hundreds of profiles registered and also the help of the owners in finding suitors. As much as possible, it is important to avoid such sites. Although these sites often market themselves on guaranteed success, the statistics are normally quite exaggerated and the same members on these sites can be found on other non paying sites. For example for every person registered in these sites, it is likely that they are also registered on sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. The paying sites also require you to hand in sensitive information such as credit card numbers and the access information. Such information can be used to access your finances or to steal your identity. There have been individuals who have been accused of crimes committed in their identity, yet they were nowhere within the crime scene. Others have found themselves fleeced of their savings, by people who had access to sensitive information that should have remained confidential. Remember that you actually do not know the owners of these sites who could be in the internet for their own reasons. In addition, tracking such fellows is quite difficult as it is to prove the cases once they get into court. To be safe, avoid any sites that request information such as physical addresses, credit card information and phone numbers for registration. Instead stick to sites that allow you to give as much minimum information as possible.

Another important fact to note is that when it comes to the first date, many couples who have met online make many mistakes. It is necessary for you to remember that however much you think you know about this person and whatever your feelings are with regard to the same individual, he is virtually a stranger. You are not 100% sure of what his personality is or even what he looks like. The photos you see on the social media could have been altered or drawn from somewhere else thereby meaning that you actually have no idea what the individual looks like. Whereas you may be garnering for privacy in order to get to know each other better, it is much safer to go on a group date or meet in a crowded restaurant where you are well known. This way if you need up disliking the person or begin to sense ulterior motives in the individual then you can proceed to call for back up and get safely home. Once you arrive at the date, you can discretely take a picture of your date with your phone and send it to a trusted friend or family member who knows where you are and with whom. This way should anything happen to you, family members and friends will be able to track you down. If you insist on hiding the individual you are meeting with, you could find yourself in more trouble than you can handle.

Never get into the car of the person you have just met or accept drinks from the person unless you are sure you know where they come from. The drinks could be drugged and could eventually lead you to a harmful situation. On the other hand, entering a stranger’s car even with a friend is just unwise and even unsafe. It is much wiser to pay the cab if you do not have your own means of transport. In the same way, do not let the person into your home unless and until you have known them well, have met their friends and family and confirmed their true identity.

The rules of safe dating in the social networks could seem restrictive for the development of a romantic relationship, but it is important to remember that they are designed to ensure maximum safety for you. People who have ignored even one rule have often lived to tell harrowing tales of how they were used, abused or in extreme cases maimed by people they thought they knew through the social medias. It is quite important to take time to know the person you are dating for quite some time before even thinking of physically meeting them. Once you have decided to meet, ensure that your friends and family either accompany you to the date, or at least know where you are and who you are with.