Swipe left, or swipe right: it is that simple for people to find a date in the modern age.
The dating world started with ringing up a girl to ask her out, picking her up at her front door, meeting her parents for approval and having her back home by curfew. Now, it has been reduced down to the swipe of a finger and sending the text “here” upon arrival.
Through apps such as Tinder, OkCupid and even Instagram, young adults have found it more convenient to findi a partner than ever, but there are some important things to remember when pursuing relationships that start on the web.
Here are four things to keep in mind when dating online, and the potential risks that accompany it.
- Be cautious when first meeting with an online date.
Nowadays, people feels comfortable meeting a stranger as long as they have seen their picture and chatted before hand.
Meeting strangers on the internet is something that has become more popular among adolescents, but often they forget that they are just that, strangers.
Melissa Duronslet, a 20-year-old dental hygienist major, has had experience with dating people on Tinder.
“I was very skeptical meeting my ex-boyfriend at first,” Duronslet said. “I was actually very nervous and worried I was going to be cat-fished.”
Before meeting-up with the person you’ve met online, remember that if they have put themselves on a dating app, it is likely they are in other social media sites as well. This means there is more background research you can do before meeting them.
Also, meeting in a group setting for the first time with friends can help alleviate both the risk of being cat-fished, as well as first-date nerves.
Duronselt has advice on how to handle your first-time meeting someone online.
“People now a days don’t even realize how dangerous it can be to meet someone,” Duronslet said. “If you plan on meeting someone online go somewhere public and during the day so it’s safe. But actually get to know the person or possibly FaceTime them before meeting them too.”
2. Always bring some form of protection.
While it is a touchy subject, it is an important one: always bring protection and be as safe as possible.
Keep in mind that all you know about this person is their name and a brief idea of what kind of person they are. What you do not know is their previous sexual history.
Allison Barton, student health educator on Moorpark College, says that online dating is a health risk and to take extra precaution if you plan on having sexual intercourse.
“The potential for STD’s rises very quickly if people have multiple partners, especially if they don’t take precaution,” Barton said.
She even suggests going a step further and requesting the person you are meeting to bring an STD test to give you more peace of mind.
Barton reminds us that the Health Center provides free condoms for students as well as STD tests and treatment, birth control planning, Plan B, pregnancy tests and counseling.
The Health Center is located in the Administration Building, Room 111 and you can call them at (805) 378-1413
3. Online relationships have a high risk of cyber and real life abuse.
Cyber dating abuse has shown to be more common in online relationships.
J.M Zweig, author of “The Co-Occurrence of Physical and Cyber Dating Violence and Bullying Among Teens” has found a correlation between online dating and different forms of abuse.
“Twenty-six percent of adolescents in dating relationships experienced cyber dating abuse and that cyber dating abuse was highly correlated with experiencing physical dating violence, psychological dating abuse and sexual coercion,” Zweig’s study showed.
Online dating leads to more than just abuse, and comes with health risks as well.
“The associations of cyber dating abuse with sexual behavior and pregnancy risk behaviors suggest a need to integrate education and harm reduction,” Zweig wrote.
The discussion of bringing programs to Moorpark campus to help bring awareness to promoting healthy relationships that are started both online and offline is something Barton sees in the near future.
“We feel like we need to give them some tips on how to avoid abuse,” said Barton. We expect something to change.”
4. It may end up working out for you.
Remember, not every relationship that begins online ends in a horror story.
With balancing school, work and finding time for themselves, it is no question as to why so many students have turned to dating apps to meet someone.
Duronslet commented on her overall feelings towards online dating after her experiences.
“Since social media has taken over the world and kids are glued to their phones then I guess it would be okay to try online dating,” Duronslet said. “Online dating can be the best for some people that are too busy to go out and socialize.”
Just make sure to be careful and take the necessary steps to ensure you are safe while online dating.
