Online dating safety for lovers, not fighters

A single person on the quest for love knows dating struggles. We help you overcome those potential struggles.

A single person on the quest for love knows dating struggles. Bars are packed with strangers looking for one-night stands and the workplace is rife with happily married co-workers with smiling family portraits on their desks.

Thankfully, the Internet is growing as a means to find love. Couples successfully find "the one" online, but unfortunately, deception and emotional upset have led many others to become more frustrated and discouraged. On your quest for love, is online dating worth the risk?

Catfishing

Popularized by a documentary and an MTV reality show, the practice of catfishing is a scary new type of identity theft. Catfishing is the act of setting up a fake profile on a website and beginning a relationship with someone through the Internet under false pretenses. A victim of catfishing is mislead to believe that whom they're interested in has a more alluring and attractive identity than in reality.

Risk - If a catfish snares you, and you become emotionally invested, the betrayal you'll feel once the truth is revealed can be devastating. Also, if you provided personal information to this deceptive person, the safety and security of your identity could be at risk as well.
Cure - The identity protection agency Lifelock recommends that online daters rely on webcams when starting their over-the-Internet love affairs. There's no guarantee that the person you're gazing at through your monitor isn't lying, but seeing them lessens the threat.

Incompatibility

Online dating can be a compatibility gamble. Online dating adventures could turn into a series of rejections and heartbreak, which can burn your ego and lower your confidence.

Risk – Unlike traditional dating, you can't feel the physical attraction and initial spark when you meet someone online. Instead, you compose a profile that conveys who you are and what you are looking for, and hope that someone comes along with a profile that complements yours.
Cure – Be honest. Don’t write what you think potential partners will want to hear. You're only setting yourself up for relationship failure by not being who you are. It's tempting to use pictures from a few years or 10 less pounds ago, but you can't hide your appearance when it comes time to meet in person. Include a recent headshot and body shot. "Stay recent and real," suggests Oprah.com, and "update photos as much as possible."

Internet Dating Addiction

Do you line up two dates in one night? Do you always think there's someone better to meet? If your quest for love online starts to consume your every waking thought or create impossible standards, you may be an online dating addict.

Risk – An addiction to online dating can disrupt your life and unhealthily affect how you foster relationships. For true addicts, meeting someone who has the potential to be a great romantic partner isn’t enough to stop logging in, winking and sending an email.
Cure – Limit yourself. Don't check your dating profiles more than once a day. Once you do find someone, take down—or at least suspend—your profile to give this new partner a chance. This helps curb the mentality that someone better is out there.