Friday, April 24, 2009

Experiencing the Other Side of Online Dating

Often I wonder, how even educated and sophisticated people misuse online dating for mere fun. It is true that the online dating sites are meant for fun, but that doesn’t mean that you are allowed to cheat others. I had a bad experience of online dating and I’m sharing it with you just to make you more careful while selecting your friends for online dating.

I have been active on the online dating sites since last four years. I have come across people from different walks of life, different age group and different countries. Some of them use fake profiles and exaggerate them to attract others. Some are honest enough to display all the personal information related to their identity. But, it is true that everyone out there is in search of fun or entertainment that they lack in their real life. I have also personally met some people who are from the same city I’m living in and are on the online dating sites. But I never tried to meet someone living in another city. Yes, there was a man who was from another city and he had come to meet me. It was a great meeting and we enjoyed that meeting. But there is another man who I had met through online dating.

Neil, the person I’m talking about, is a business man. The first message he sent to me was really attractive and impelling enough to drive me crazy and befriend him. I had least idea that the person who was talking to me can provide fake information. I would chat with him for hours. His pictures and data provided on the website showed that he was a man of 25 years. I was really happy chatting with him through online dating sites. He would advice and teach me about different aspects of life. Apart from chatting on online dating sites, we would talk over telephones. But, it was shocking for me when he turned down my request to meet in person.

But, I’m not someone who would easily give up and I kept on requesting him again and again to meet and at last Neil agreed to meet me. Some safety tips of online dating reminded me of asking my friend to accompany me. I was surprised to find that the person in front of me was not the same one whose picture was on the profile. Actually, Neil was 45-year-old man. And, more shockingly, Neil was married and my friend knew him. I left the place as soon as possible without wasting my time for the man.

My online dating experience has taught me not to trust someone easily, especially while dating online. Online dating has its own share of risks. Don’t feel depressed about it in case you have a bad experience. After all it is also a part of life. All you need is to be careful and follow safety tips before embarking on online dating. If done carefully, online dating can bring you awesome results.

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