Online Dating: There are Two Sides to Every Coin

Online dating is no longer a novel idea, as the internet is now a universally used medium for finding and arranging dates. Irrespective of one’s age or technical proficiency, anyone can use dedicated dating apps and websites to find other interested individuals.

Such meetings can be arranged for anything from one night stands to the first step towards a serious relationship, and everything in between. However, there are also certain other aspects of online dating which are not as inspiring to realize for the newcomer, unfortunately.

Whether you are relatively new to the online dating scene, or you have been in this game long enough to know the basics already, it is advised to go through the following points anyway, just to make sure that you are not missing out on anything important.

Options

The internet is vast, and a good dating site’s member list usually spans across multiple cities, states and even nations. No form of traditional dating can give you that amount of choice. Too many options can be overwhelming, but just because they have a long list of likable members, doesn’t mean that every one of them will like you back as well. The most likely scenario is that you will end up with a list of matches, which will likely feel more refined than seemingly overwhelming.

Convenience

Going to the nearest, overcrowded singles club can get boring fast, especially when you don’t have too many nightclubs in the area. Online dating, on the other hand, is always on, right there in your pocket and inside your smartphone. Instead of going to a nightclub and hitting on strangers, you might be able to get a date for the coming Saturday night at a hot nightclub, right from the convenience of your bedroom on Friday night.

Matches

When we are in a nightclub, a party, or some other social setting, finding a date is mostly based on visual attractions and interpretations. That isn’t quite how it happens online.

Make no mistake, if you have the looks, you will get the attention, irrespective of the platform! That being said, such matches are often superficial, and the chances of a date working out between two people who just met at the bar due to their mutual physical attraction are not always high.

Dating sites, on the other hand, utilize the user’s profile preferences, likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc. to find other profiles that suit them the best. This naturally increases the probability of dating satisfaction, whether someone is looking for a hookup or something more meaningful.

Dangers

The single biggest con which is shared by any and all online dating apps and websites is the fact that people can pretend to be someone else. Names can be changed officially to hide criminal records, making sure that people never find out about that pending sexual offense case or a history of violent abuse cases on their superior court records!

In order to counter the danger which is a very real one to deal with on the web, you will need to pay a visit to this website, and check your date’s superior court records first. Even if nothing comes up on the name that they have shared with you, do explore Public Records Reviews a bit further and find out if the person has recently or during any time in the past, changed their name. In case they have, that in itself is a red flag, but pull up the superior court records to see exactly what they were accused of, if it stuck, and what verdict was given by the judge on that matter.

Dating someone who has a questionable past is a safety concern, especially if their offenses were serious enough to be identified as a criminal misdemeanor, or even worse, a felony. Therefore, this also applies to anyone you might already be dating.

Bots

We have all faced them, and it doesn’t matter how advanced technology gets, bots and dating sites are seemingly inseparable. Sometimes, it’s the dating site itself allowing or introducing their own bots to lure more users in.

External bots are far more dangerous though since they are there for finding marks, collecting their personal data and then trying to lure them towards a third party website with malware/phishing properties.

Pay to Date!

Multiple apps and websites use bots and hire people to create fake, attractive profiles. They pretend to be interested in the site’s users, with the final goal being that of making them pay for features and subscriptions on a continuous basis. Even chatting to matches is not allowed by some dating sites, until the user pays for it.

As mentioned in the title, every coin must have two sides, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that online dating has both pros and cons too. Nevertheless, it is both the present and the future of dating, so stay aware of the dangers, avoid shady sites that ask for money at every step and do a background check before physically meeting anyone in the real world. Take advantage of what’s on offer, but be clever with your money and safety.

Thanks to Emily