Finding Your Soulmate Online – a Myth or Reality? Searching for a partner on the internet can be a great experience if you know how to avoid the traps of online dating.
Online dating sites are certainly a phenomenon, which changed the dating game a lot. Thanks to the mass adoption of broadband Internet, it flourished in the past decade and now the traditional ways of finding a partner look so last century.
Online Dating: The Advantages
Of course, if these sites didn’t offer many benefits to their users, online it have never become that popular. Online dating sites have many advantages, some of which are:
Access to many people from all over the world. Unless the membership for a particular site is not limited to a specific geographic region only, online dating sites offer access to people from all over the world. In traditional dating, this is impossible!
Many men and women with similar interests. In addition to access to hundreds and thousands of profiles of daters from all over the world, online dating sites are a unique chance to meet people with similar interests. And since similar interests are a prerequisite for a happy, long-term relationship, online dating sites are great.
Requires less time and money than traditional dating. For busy people, online dating sites have one more advantage – no need to go out on a date. This saves both time and money and for many people, the convenience of online dating sites is really of high value.
Online Dating: The Traps
Online dating is a great option for singles today, but one consistent complaint among daters is that their matches aren’t truthful about some areas of their life. Getting to know an online date can be difficult enough without having to wonder if the things they have listed on their profiles are true.
Online Profile Pictures That Aren’t Current or Are Posed at Different Angles
1) The photo on a profile is probably the first thing that attracts you to your online match but looks closely to make sure it’s current. If hairstyles or clothing are dated, chances are your match hasn’t updated his or his picture. Also, if the photos don’t seem to match the age bracket your match has listed, your date may be hiding something.
2) Photos should ideally complement the overall profile and help tell you more about your match. If your match brags about an active lifestyle, for example, one or two photos should reflect that. Also, at least one photo should be a full-body shot.
3) If your match’s profile doesn’t have this, he or she may be uncomfortable about weight. Photos that are posed or cropped at weird angles are also a red flag. Bottom line: Your match should have a picture where he or she is smiling into the camera. Anything else could be a clue that they are untruthful about some area of their life.
Online Matches Who Are Married or in a Relationship
If you date online, you should be available for a relationship. However, sometimes people “test out” the dating waters with an Internet profile before they are free to date. Their status in these cases probably says “single,” so you’ll have to pay close attention to signs that your match might be in a relationship. Some of them include
●Failure to answer your calls promptly
●Only calls you during odd hours
●Will only go on dates during weeknights
●Not forthcoming about the personal information
●Insists on going to your place only
●Doesn’t want to be seen in public
The best advice is to go slowly with these types of people to make sure they are who they say they are. You might be able to realize the truth simply by the lies they tell or how they act. If you have any doubt at all, back off. Trust your instincts if you feel your match is hiding something.
Lying About Money or Activity Level
Another common, although less harmful, lie online daters sometimes tell relates to money. People feel very uncomfortable posting their actual salary and may adjust it up or down on their profile. Income level is a very personal thing, and the desire to keep this information private is understandable. It’s also hard to be judged based on your income level before someone knows you, so if your match fudged his salary info give him some slack on that.
Wrapping Up
Online daters sometimes just want to appeal to more people and may say they enjoy common activities like skiing, reading, or (the ultimate cliché) walks on the beach, when in fact they don’t do these things. Again, this is a harmless slip and is done with the desire to simply connect instead of deceive.
Online dating sites do have a lot of advantages but their traps are not to be neglected. So, everybody, who considers joining a dating site on the internet should weigh the pros and cons and decide if it is good or bad for him or her to do it.
The only way you can be sure of someone you meet online (or anywhere, for that matter) is to take the time to get to know him or her. Go slowly in your relationship until you feel comfortable. If something doesn’t feel right, talk to your partner or get some distance.
