With so much on your plate, like running to your morning class to get that English term paper in, working part-time at your favorite boutique, getting a few minutes in on the treadmill, hanging out with the girls, spending time with the family … How can you possibly have the time to date?
Millions of women in America now engage in the new online dating trend. With such little time to spare to meet that cutie you met at the club or going on a blind date, having a cyber relationship and checking your email all at the same time sounds like a great idea. Although, not all online personalities you run into are the greatest people you will ever meet. Sometimes, you’ll come across Mr. “Let’s Meet Up Tonight,” bombarding you with constant private messages in the late-night hours. What’s a girl to do? How can you avoid the creep online? Here are some tips to keep him away for good.
- Don’t let your guard down. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment when the conversation is going well, but avoid giving out your physical location and telephone number as this might lead to risky and unpleasant scenarios. If he wants to know where he can send you “love letters,” or he wants to hear “the voice of the angel behind the LCD screen,” just simply present the option of sending you an email or using a voice-chat program. Don’t ever tell too much in little time.
- Learn how to say no. Just because you are both interacting with each other using your keyboard and mouse doesn’t mean he can’t do you no harm. If you no longer feel comfortable talking to him, send him a message acknowledging him how you feel. You don’t have to give him details or explanations but do let him know you no longer want to speak with him and you wish him the best of luck in finding that special someone.
- Be honest with yourself. Seriously. Do you really want to start a serious relationship with someone you really don’t physically see, touch, and know? Just enjoy online dating for what it has to offer: socializing and investing time simultaneously with multiple individuals who are mingling as much as you are. Don’t give all your attention to one guy. Don’t give him the impression that you “belong” to him.
- Get and give all the dirty details, sort of. Get personal but not too personal. Ask questions about his life outside cyberspace. Check out his public profile and see if he has pictures with his friends and family living on the daily. Make sure you do the same for yourself. Give the impression that you, too, have a life outside of cyberspace and you are not focused on your “virtual-self plus virtual-boy.”
- Trust your gut. Ladies, you have instincts of a predator in a sea full of good and bad catches. If you think you caught the wrong type of fish in the net, let him go. Don’t dwell on it or else you might just poison yourself.
