Recent research indicates that 22% of 25-34 year olds, and 10% of 18-24 year olds in America use online dating (Smith and Anderson). The wide availability of the internet has seen an increase in the number of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, and chatting applications like Whatsapp and Tinder. Through these tools, the prospect of online dating is possible since they make it extremely easy to meet people online. While online dating facilitates the meeting of people, rising cases of insecurity, blackmail and in extreme cases physical harm make it a bad choice for meeting potential dates. Further, caution should be exercised in order to not fall into the potential pitfalls of online romance.
Online dating poses the danger of harassment, blackmail and cyber stalking. When these internet romances go bad, it is not uncommon for the spurned parties to resort to online stalking and harassment against their former love interests, and in most cases this behavior borders on the criminal. In the course of online dating, it is common to share images and videos with other parties. In some cases, webcams to some have been turned on remotely and they have been recorded without their knowledge, sometimes during private moments. These photos and videos have subsequently been used in blackmail attempts against the subjects. This calls for exercising discretion in who one chooses to engage online, and on what they choose to share.
Most people in online dating sites are not who they claim to be. Cases of people masquerading as people they are not are extremely common in the internet. The people in question may be fraudsters, con men or even criminals seeking to take advantage of the good will of their online correspondents to con their hard earned money. Moreover, it is becoming increasingly obvious that even those without criminal intentions intentionally misrepresent themselves (Voo). Seemingly, there are very few people that can be trusted on these internet dating sites. Another risk posed by such dishonesty lies in the danger that it presents when planning to, and eventually meeting these dates for the first time in person.
The online dating landscape is filled with unscrupulous service providers who take advantage of their subscribers (Voo). Some dating sites purport to be legitimate dating sites while in actual sense are merely avenues through which unsuspecting users can be defrauded. It is not uncommon for sites to shut down after fleecing their subscribers off their money. Also, others sell user information to third parties which take advantage of these user’s emails and information for commercial gains. In order to safeguard against this, it is advisable not to use any personally identifying information online, at least until you have developed a sufficient level of trust with your contact, and to only use websites that have been proven to be legitimate and safe.
To conclude, online dating while a novel new idea presents challenges in the form of the security considerations that will protect individual privacy while online. Online dating sometimes poses the risk of stalking, harassment and blackmail. At other times, one is likely to fall victim to people who misrepresent themselves and give false information, or those that have criminal intentions. Even more disconcerting is the threat of being a member of a rogue website that would likely divulge their information to third parties. In order to prevent against these and other privacy and personal security considerations, it is prudent to be vigilant while dating online. Through careful consideration and exercising caution, one can enjoy the benefits of online dating.
Works Cited
Smith, Aaron, and Monica Anderson. ‘5 Facts About Online Dating’. Pew Research Center. N.p., 2015. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
Voo, Jocelyn. ‘Some Digital Neighborhoods Better For Dating – CNN.Com’. Edition.cnn.com. N.p., 2015. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
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