The Pitfalls of Online Relationships

Many individuals join sites such as these because they are a "safe" way to interact with other people. Perhaps they have been hurt in a past relationship, whether that was an online or in-person relationship. Often times, we tend to wear masks when we are online. We hide some of the negative things about ourselves. In order to really get to know someone, you have to meet that person "in person". Although each relationship is different, here are a few suggestions to help avoid problems that occur with long-term online relationships.

1) Use a site such as this one to find someone in your area if possible, who you are interested in. Email the individual and see if you have some common interests.

2) After you feel comfortable emailing the individual, ask if they want to talk via a chat program. Chatting is a good way to see how things go when there is little time to think about your responses. Unlike an email where you could spend all day thinking about what you want to write. This may or may not be an accurate representation of the real you.

3) If chatting goes well and you have built up a trust with someone, ask for the person's telephone number. Talking on the telephone is even better than chat programs because it really tests how well you can communicate with the other person.

4) After talking on the telephone and building up your interests and trust for the other person, decide to meet in a public place, preferably with friends. Now you can really see this person face-to-face and decide where you want to take the relationship from there.