Online Dating Over 55
The Golden Rules of Online Dating
Judith Bitterli, CMO at AVG Technologies
I have watched many of my friends try to navigate the “new world” of dating after a divorce, death or break-up. I have observed that when it comes to online dating, getting started is often the hardest part. How do you know which site to use? How can you be sure that your information is safe?
As usual, common sense will go a long way toward keeping you safe on the dating scene.
Below are a few golden rules to follow to make sure you’re protected as you pursue matters of the heart.
Golden Rule One: Do your research.
Make no mistake; the online dating industry is absolutely huge. Did you know that more than 40 million Americans have used online dating services? And that 74% of singles have tried online dating services in the last year? So this is not an experience to be embarrassed about–embrace it!
As you’d expect there are thousands of dating sites that cater to almost every demographic or interest group that you can think of. When it comes to boomers two of the most well-known sites are Our Time — for users aged 50 plus — and Senior People Meet (I have to admit I am not fond of that name), for those who are 60 plus.
Of course, with the astonishing growth of niche sites, we don’t need to define ourselves by age either: there are sites built to connect pet and book lovers, to name just a few shared interests that might lead to shared lives.
Do a little research into different sites that interest you. Dating sites often get reputations for the kind of relationship their users are looking for. Make sure you define what you are looking for: casual relationship, long term relationship or just friendship.
Golden Rule Two: Don’t give away too much
As you start to fill out your online dating profiles, it can be all too easy to get excited and share lots of information. After all, you can’t show off all your good points in a few lines can you?
While it’s really important to be yourself, you should use common sense as to what you’re happy sharing. Just like a real-world first date, don’t give away your personal information. Talk about your passions and interests, not your ZIP code and social networking profiles!
Also, be mindful that any content you share becomes proprietary to the dating site that you are using, and that any pictures you share can often be accessed via a photo ID search (for example, through Google). So absolutely do not take a photo of yourself in your house and post that one. It is trackable back to your address.
Golden Rule Three: Be pragmatic
We’ve all heard stories about people misrepresenting themselves online, and princes/princesses in the virtual world being frogs in the real one, but the fact is that 17% of marriages in the last year were of couples who met online, with 2% of those coming from online dating leader Match.com. It’s hard to argue with statistics like those.
But this isn’t a reason to give your email address, phone number and Skype name to every potential match you come across. Always use the messaging service provided by your dating site. This will keep your personal contact information private and protect you if things take a turn for the worse or if the person you’re dealing with isn’t who they claim to be.
Read more.
Keeping these safety guidelines in mind, the world of online dating can be an exciting and rewarding place for people looking for love, whatever their age or interests.
For more detailed advice on Internet dating, we’ve created an eBook with tips on how to be safe while online dating at which you can download for free.
Download AVG’s free online dating eBook now.
Category: Articles, Senior Health
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