February is the most popular month for online dating. This is no surprise, as the presence of Valentine's Day causes many people to think about their love life and explore new ways to meet people. And with internet access at one's fingertips at virtually every moment, online dating will no doubt become more prevalent in 2012 than in past years.
With this in mind, I would like to share some advice with respect to online dating safety. While some of this might seem like common sense, it's important to review and think about; in many cases, when caught up in the moment, it is easy to overlook even the most basic safety precautions:
1. Be anonymous. Most dating sites enable you to create a username. Make sure this username is, as an example, Stacy14, rather than StacyDJohnson. By knowing your full name, a person can find out a lot about you (including potentially your address and phone number) with a simple Google search. Even when meeting a member for the first time, it would be best to not share your Email address or phone number right away.
2. Stay in public. When planning to meet up with another member for the first time, choose a public place in a busy area. Make sure you have mapped out a way to get home that also does not involve walking through secluded areas. Dating in cities such as New York or Boston make this easy.
3. If the date doesn't go well, do not accept his offer to walk you home. Politely refuse. You do not want a person you have no desire to see again knowing where you live.
4. If the date doesn't go well, keep further communication to a minimum. He may contact you after via the dating website, asking to go out again. It's best to politely refuse and end communication. If you start a dialog again, he may get the wrong idea and think you would like to see him again. It's best not to lead him on (that is, if you are sure you have no desire to meet again).
5. If possible, avoid the same location when going on a date with another member. While this may not be practical, it would not be ideal to run into this person again if he frequents the location (especially if it is a bar).
6. Be cautious even after a few dates. Remember, you do not know this person yet -- you have likely not met his friends, his coworkers, his family. Even after one or two great dates, stay somewhat cautious. Don't entrust him with too much information right away.
Online dating is the wave of the future and, when done properly, can be a terrific experience, especially in single-friendly cities like Boston and New York City. Most people are not monsters, and you shouldn't feel overly afraid on first dates. Simply follow basic safety rules to protect yourself, and you increase the chances of meeting great people.
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