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Tips on Starting Online Dating
by Aisha Nicole Anderson
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Overview
Dating online can be a bit intimidating at first, but there are many people who have done it successfully and found love. With so many dating sites available, ranging from free to about $40 a month to use, it can be hard to choose the right one for you.
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Finding the Site That's Right
In order to find like-minded people you should explore all your options. There are many sites that claim they can find your perfect match: eHarmony and match.com are two of them. While this may be true, it may not. If you're a Christian, for example, you probably wouldn't want to post a profile on a site called One-Night Stands. Therefore, it's important to do some research.
Do web searches based on what you're looking for. For example, if you're a Christian, do a search for "Christian singles." If you're into interracial dating, do a search for that. There are a few places you can place free ads, like Craigslist and PlentyofFish.com. These are good places to begin if you don't want to be locked into paying for a site right away. In addition, many dating sites will allow you to peruse their ads and their site for free. In doing that, you may find someone you wish to connect with---enough to join the site.
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Honesty is the best policy and safety first.
Once you've found a site that you're comfortable with, you'll need to construct a profile about yourself. Many sites have a questionnaire set up and a place to post a photo of yourself. For both it's important to be honest and safe. If you write inaccurate information about yourself in the questionnaire, you're going to get dates with inaccurate people. If you post a picture of yourself when you were in high school and 50 pounds lighter, don't be disappointed if you meet people in person and they're upset that you aren't the person they imagined. Honesty attracts honesty and no one wants to date a liar.
NEVER post personal information like your telephone number, home address or e-mail address on a profile. Save that information for long after you've developed trust in a potential date.
NEVER agree to meet a person at your home or his or her home for the first time. You don't know anything about that person other than what you've been told. ALWAYS meet in a public place first until you're comfortable.
Keep in mind that dating online is not that much different from dating anywhere else. The same people you would meet on the bus, at the bar, in a class or at a church function are the people who place ads. That person you met at the nightclub does not have more access to your personal information or life than the person who simply read your profile. You would not give random strangers your personal info in person, so exercise the same common sense online.
