Posted February 5, Reviewed by Davia Sills. The good news is that, as it is in real life, these maladjusted individuals are only a small minority of the online population. The following suggestions will not, of course, guarantee your physical and emotional safety. They will, however, help to protect you if you follow them. Meet in a public place. This gives you time to get to know a person at least a little bit, so you can identify obvious red flags before agreeing to meet in a more private setting.
Make sure at least one friend or family member knows who you are meeting, where, and when. Arrange to check in with that person at least once during your date.
Pay your own way. If the other person wants money or gifts from you or wants to shower you with money or gifts, walk away. That person does not love you or even care about you. Dress appropriately. Yes, you want to make sure the other person finds you attractive, but sending an overtly sexual message may scare a serious suitor away, as that suitor might think you are only interested in a hookup.
Trust your instincts. This is the most important safety tip of all. You are under no obligation to continue a date. Maybe the issue is something innocuous, maybe not.
The good news is that the vast majority of people you find online are sincere in their desire to meet a long-term partner, a casual sex partner, or a friend. So, provided you take some simple steps to protect yourself, meeting an online acquaintance IRL is generally no more dangerous than spending time with a person you met some other way. Robert Weiss, Ph. Robert Weiss Ph. Love and Sex in the Digital Age. About the Author. More from Robert Weiss Ph. More from Psychology Today.
