Manti Te'o isn't the first person who's been hoodwinked in the course of an online relationship and he won't be the last. There are lessons to be learned here about being safe and sane with Internet dating -- and also how not to be a dumbass. Here are five jaded pieces of advice for online dating. Don't get Te'od!
See also: - Online dating for straight people: We're all just chasing the popcorn - Online dating: Your friends' comments on your love life can actually help your profile - Online dating: What your intentionally candid profile photo says about you
5. Have low-to-no expectations of people you meet online.This sounds like seriously counterproductive advice for online dating, but it will serve you well while you sift through profile after profile, and chat with people who offer you the world on a platter -- but may not even have a spork to their names. One of the biggest pitfalls of online dating is that it's far too easy to build up expectations about someone based on flattering photos and even more flattering words. Be leery of anyone who immediately piles on the platitudes and tells you that you are "The One," that they have been waiting their entire life just to find you, that you are the smartest, funniest, most attractive person on the planet. They don't know you, and you don't know them.
Dropping mad sugar-bombs is usually a red flag that the person on the other end of the keyboard has unrealistic expectations of you -- and life in general. They're not looking for you so much as anyone to plug into their own fantasies, and that's not a successful start for any dating relationship.
4. Some people really are damaged goods hiding behind a computer screen.
We've all heard Internet dating horror stories, and some of us have quite a few of our own to entertain out friends with at parties. But truth be told, the Internet is filled with people who have trouble getting dates in the real world, and for good reasons. I have dealt with people who have arrest records spanning decades; people who have severe, untreated emotional and mental problems; people who have terrible socialization and communication skills, straight-up liars trying to get money, free naked camming, places to crash and instant sexual encounters; and people in broken relationships looking for new people to solve their problems.
Damaged people are interested in getting their needs met, and don't care about yours. They are no different than people who do this offline, but the web gives them an anonymous playground to work with, and if you don't give them what they want, then they can and will find someone easier to fool. The best thing you can do to protect yourself from these assholes is to recognize them early on, and cut off contact immediately. This brings us to the "asking questions" part.
3. Ask questions -- and pay attention to the answers.The human dating dance is one that begins with a lot of back-and-forth, and the best way to really get to know a prospective dating partner is to ask questions, and answer questions about you. Someone who doesn't ask you any questions is suspicious, and someone who doesn't answer questions is downright creepy. Of course, some degree of privacy is warranted, on- or offline, but general getting-to-know-you queries are both acceptable and necessary. Reading someone's dating profile is crucial, and asking questions that expand upon that info is a good place to start.
I have actually busted online liars by asking them questions based on profile statements that didn't add up. If someone you are chatting with can't provide you with basics like how old they are, where they are from, their relationship status, what field they are employed in, whether or not they have kids or what they are looking for in a partner, then chances are the reasons for the cover-ups aren't gonna be pretty. Major inconsistencies are red flags, and my experience has taught me that when people aren't forthcoming about basic personal information, then they are usually hiding something big like a spouse or significant other who is unaware that their partner is dating online.
