Most relationships that begin on
the internet are formed by meeting in chatrooms where people
have similar interests.
Chatrooms on topics you are interested in can easily be found
using major search engines such as google, simply by typing
"chatroom" and the topic of interest.
By communicating online there are no guidelines. Men and women
can lie about their age, job, weight, physical appearance etc,
and the incumbent problems often arise. A false sense of identity
may be formed. “In online relationships, people develop
an easy and rapid intimacy and can lose their sense of judgment”
(Dr. Esther Gwinnell, 2001).
There are many dangers in online dating that may occur because
of the anonymity. While on the internet it's possible to put
on a display of only the things that we really care about,
such as the more positive qualities that we possess (Block,
1996). We also are not able to recognize the physical cues
that we see in everyday in life, such as body language, dress,
personal hygiene, tone of voice and how we are able to judge
verbal statements. It is also possible that people can be
looking for various things, one person may be looking for
a meaningful relationship while the other may be looking for
something completely different.
A few more things to look out for are:
Beware of people who are obsessed with their ex and than
forget them once the two of you are starting to form a relationship
People often repeat the same behaviours - for example if someone
speaks badly about their past relationships they are more
than likely going to do the same to you if something goes
wong with you.
Always think about your own personal safety / security first
- be anonymous in all your correspondence until it comes to
crunch time. So, do not use details like surnames, phone numbers
and addresses
Pay attention to the content of the emails - if people are
too general in their content, there might be a problem. Some
Psychologists argue women are usually more influenced by words
and men are generally influenced by images - be careful of
persuasive writers if you are female.
Beware of each others expectations and intentions.
If a problem occurs, contact your dating service provider
and alert the police - if you have met this person make it
a point to be able to identify them.
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