Internet dating has become a very popular way of meeting new people in the modern age. Studies from 2018 show that nearly 50 million people have tried online dating only in the US. This statistic is therefore much smaller than the total number. Online dating has become a very accessible thing caused by the number of dating apps on the market today. There are over 8000 dating sites in the world as of now. Dating sites like Match, eHarmony and Tinder have spiked in popularity. But with this easy access and popularity are there any dangers involving apps like these?
The first concern is whether your match might be lying on their profile. It is unsure to tell if someone is lying or telling the truth. Studies in the US show that 50% of Americans lie on their profile. This causes an element of distrust and the shattering of expectations. The most common form of lying on profiles from the genders is that men lie about money and women lie about age.
Another concern is that of faithfulness. Research shows that 60% of online daters already have a partner. Especially on Tinder it’s said that 42% of users have a partner or are in a relationship. This is problematic as it breaks down the trust that people want in the first place by using the app. This is hard to know if someone is in a relationship or not based on their profile because even though dating sites check for criminal background they do not check relationship status.
Another danger is that people can scam others via online. According to the Internet Crime Complaint Centre online dating scams have cost victims 50 million dollars since 2011. Scammers have been said to use specific tactics to gain their matches’ trust then ask for certain details in which they can hack them and take bank details.
Another concern is predators on online sites. One in ten profiles are fake and can be used for horrible motives. One in ten sex offenders are on a dating site to meet new people. What is more worrying is that 3% of online daters are considered psychopaths. This could potentially mean that if someone is matched with someone like this then they could be in serious danger. This threat is backed up by the fact that 16000 abductions, 100 murders and thousands of rapes are committed every year.
There are however methods that can be taken to stop big threats like these. To stop the threat of being hurt from someone you met online have the first formal date in a public place like a café or restaurant. This gives an atmosphere of security knowing that other people are around. Another way to prevent yourself from getting hurt is to conduct a background check on your match using sites like BeenVerified. This site will help you to discover your matches’ previous background and see if he or she has any criminal charges.
