Several years back, dating online is something you would not want your family members and friends to know about. Online dating had only one concept behind it – people who date online are desperate to find someone online because they can’t find someone in the real world. 
Even today, there are still people who think that way. However, advances in technology have contributed to huge improvements in online dating. Now, you can see the person using a webcam and talk to him or her as if you’re together, and not just see the person through a flat picture.
However, you still need to make sure that you are safe and that you stay safe even if you’re only communicating online. Remember, since you don’t know the person you are dating well, you need to take safety precautions. You will not know someone well if you don’t meet them in person, that’s true, but on the second thought, you cannot risk going out with someone who was a convict, for instance. The fact still remains that you when you’re out there with someone you don’t know too well, you can be at risk. Let’s look at the things you might need to do to stay safe when dating online.
Before going on a first date, talk to him or her on the phone. While a phone conversation is still too general to know a person, a series of phone conversations can tell you what kind of person he or she is in general, by the way he or she talks about things and to you. Somehow, you get a feeling of what he or she would be like in person.
If you decide to it take the next level and go on a date, make sure that your meeting place is somewhere familiar and public. Don’t meet someone, no matter how much you like him or her, in a place that you don’t really know. Pick a place that is crowded. Make sure that the meeting place is somewhere you are comfortable. If he or she doesn’t agree with that, then you have to think twice. Better yet, cancel the date.
Make sure that you let people know where and when you are going and whom you are going with. This way, someone knows where and how to find you if something goes wrong. If the date went well, then make sure you also tell your family and friends that you are safe and that you’re headed home already.