Internet pitfalls: dangers of online datingPosted by Nick Niesen on October 26th, 2010 Watch out for lies and embellishments There are certain things which peoplecommonly lie about within their profile. The most common include: Height, weight, age, and occupation. Also be aware that people may embellish a little bit about themselves to make themselves sound better. For example, they may over exaggerate their travel experience, college education, etc? As mentioned before, even some pictures can?t be trusted. Some people use old photos of themselves because they looked better back then. Most important, be aware that some people lie about their relationship status. Married people have been known to state they are single on online dating sites. Be careful about sharing your email As mentioned, most online dating sites allow you to use an anonymous internal communication system. Make sure you take full advantage of that. If you do start to feel comfortable with someone and would like to share an email address with them, don?t use your regular email address. Set up a free email address that you use strictly for your online dating activities. You can easily obtain one through yahoo, hotmail, gmail, etc? Be careful about sharing your personal information It?s easy to get sweptup and excited about the possibility of a new romance. However, the anonymous nature of online dating sites makes it just as (if not) more important than ever to protect your personal information. Don?t share your full name. Never give out the details of exactly where you work, or go to school. You can say something like ?I work at a major downtown law firm.? If they ask, ?Which one?? Just politely tell them you?d rather not say until you get to know them a little better. Most people will understand and respect your decision to not share. Don?t ever give out your address. Be very careful about giving out your telephone number. This is especially true of your cell phone number. Don?t get too serious too fast It?s best to just keep things on the lighter side for a little while when you first meet someone from an online dating site. Keeping things friendly and light will help you to get to know the other person a lot better than just diving into a relationship. Like it? Share it!More by this author |