Playing It Smart: Staying Safe With Online Dating
Introduction
Sexual frustration (even emotional alienation) has its upper limit. A human being can only bear it for so long before passively waiting for “the one” becomes a torturous ordeal. And we’ve all been curious (though skeptical) as to what’s out there on the great wide web. Fear not! You can certainly use online dating to achieve the results you’re seeking, no matter what you’re seeking. Though the internet can definitely lead you to hotties you’re trying to seduce, it’s important to utilize some crucial safety procedures. Fortunately, we’ve made this quick list of dos and don’ts for all your online dating experience.
Visual Confirmation
Ah, what an age of technology we live in! You can see a person in a completely different house to make sure they’re the hot blonde you’ve been swapping photos with. Try having a few conversations to avoid being defrauded by generic video conversations. It’s important to know that the person is who they say they are; we’ve certainly all heard stories of someone being tricked or scammed because they weren’t cautious enough. If you can confirm your date’s identity beforehand, though, you can focus on more important things.
Meet in Public
This serves a few purposes. First, it relieves you from giving any of your personal information to your date. Second, public places are simply safer. In public, people tend to be more relaxed and more reserved. You’ll both be at ease seeing other people around. Save the private dates (and hot/passionate alone time) for later, once you trust the person and know a little more about them.
Take It Slow
Oh, boohoo! You haven’t had sex in three years and now you want to piss and moan about having to wait a week for a second date? That’s a drop in the pond. You have to consider that this person could be anyone, and you may need to wait a while before you’ll truly feel comfortable inviting them into your house. As always, it would be nice to prove these things to your date as well so that they’ll trust you in your house. So, just sit tight and find something else to keep you busy between dates.
Be Up Front
Now, desperation is no excuse to go around breaking hearts (although, many people think it is). Believe it or not, there are many attractive people of all genders and preferences looking for serious commitment or casual sex with everything in between. Maybe you’re a bright-eyed youngster who’s never had a serious relationship. Maybe you’re just getting out of something serious and looking for fun. Maybe you just want to hold hands. Maybe you’re into whips and chains and throwing food at each other. The only way to find out if your partner is, too, is to be honest and open up about your wants and needs (when the time is right, of course).
Wrap It Up
This is probably the most important one. An old teacher once said to me, “It takes many nails to build a crib, but only one screw to fill it.” While no one wants to conceive after the first date, there’s also a bevy of sexual transmitted diseases to contract out there. Play it safe and use a condom every time you have sex with the person, because your sexual health is your own responsibility.
