The Ultimate Guide to Dating Safely

The purpose of dating is to get to know someone, and online dating has sped this process up. Unfortunately, we can miss important information in the process. With the growth of chat facilities, new technologies, and how acceptable meeting someone through a dating site has become, the risks we're exposed to have increased as well.  

All too often, running a background check can become pivotal to ensuring our safety. Finding the right site by checking a source like UnMask will stop you from wasting money of you go that route. We'll now proceed to give you some safe dating tips. 

Drive Yourself 

If you don't drive, get a cab. You need a fast escape route in case the date isn't developing as planned. Don't get them to pick you up on the first date or even the second or third. Keep your address to yourself for the time being. 

Keep Someone in the Know

A lot of people won't mention they're going out on a date with someone they met online just because of how customary it's become. Over a quarter of 18- to 24-year-olds meet their dates exclusively online. Ideally, give your date's number and name to a loved one and don't be secretive about where you're going. Let them know when you'll be back too. Update them ASAP if anything changes while you're out. 

Don't Drink too Much, and Don't Leave Your Drink Unattended 

Don't leave your food or drink unattended; date rape drugs haven't disappeared. This doesn't mean you can't leave the bar or table, just take your drink with you if you do and don't drink more than you can carry. To be on the safe side, don't have more than three drinks. Alcohol reduces our inhibitions, rendering us more vulnerable to ulterior motives, such as being led away from a public place. 

Don't Meet at Home 

Don't meet in your or his home on the first or second date. It might be tempting to chill and watch videos with a promising potential partner, but you don't know if that's what they are. It's too soon to tell. It may also be too soon to get intimate even if the person's totally legit. Meet in public, ideally at a location you're familiar with. This increases your safety and also makes it more likely for someone to remember seeing you if something goes wrong.  

Go on a Group Date 

This is a surefire way to stay safe, so if it's possible, definitely arrange it. Take a friend along; this way you have four eyes on things like drinks instead of two.  

Focus on the Present

It's easy to lose one's grip on reality when dating, especially when people hit it off. Rather than thinking about walking down the aisle or sharing a mortgage, focus on getting to know them first. 

Run a Background Check 

Screening companies can run checks for a small payment, and some even do it for free. You can do a Google or social media search yourself. If you don't feel right about them or unearth questionable information, you might have a problem down the line. 

How to Stay Safe Online

As an additional precaution, don't use any personal information in your dating site profile usernames. Of course, you'll have to give someone your real name and number eventually. Don't do it too often and give this information only to people you've gotten to know by spending some time chatting to them. Before you meet them in person, talk on the phone. Even better, do a video call so that you match the face to the name. 

Trust Your Intuition

Trust your "gut" if they say something strange or inappropriate during a chat. Don't ignore red flags. Broaching the subject of sex too soon is one of those. Living with their parents at the age of 35+ could be another. A big red flag is inexplicable secrecy. They won't tell you what they do, if they have any siblings, about their social media, or other banal information.  

Mutual Friends on Social Media 

After they tell you their name, look for them on Facebook or another social medium to see if you have anything in common. If it turns out you have a mutual friend, ask this person about them. Are they actually friends or merely acquaintances? What do they know about them, if anything? Getting a second opinion can make you feel reassured that this person has nothing to hide. 

Of course, it depends on the opinion you get. You might learn about a shady past instead. 

Don't be Afraid to Delete and Block 

Delete and block people who are making you feel uncomfortable in any way. Don't question your gut feeling. If you're getting inappropriate messages from someone, don't hesitate to report them.

Despite everything, there's no need to be suspicious of everyone. Online dating shows lots of promise. Researchers believe more than two-thirds of all people will have met "the one" on the internet by 2040.