Love On The Net
17th September 2008
Internet dating is all fair and good, but even with all the horror stories and warnings going around the world, most people still tend to think that bad things only happen to other people and that they are sure to find their perfect match on-line. As I think the risk of meeting a psycho down your local pub is just as high as it is on the Internet, I am personally more concerned with people meeting liars on the Internet than loonies.
Communicating on the Internet lulls you into a false sense of security and gives the impression of intimacy, even when the other person is a million miles away. It is so easy to fall in love with a photo, but we can't judge what a person looks like in real life, how they smell or what their table manners are like from a two-dimensional picture. Many people write to each for months and even spend endless hours on the phone, only to experience bitter disappointment when they finally meet.
The person you've fallen in love with is only a figment of your imagination. It is extremely rare for people to give away any bad points on an Internet profile, when writing an e-mail or over the phone. All you've got to go on is an extremely flattering photo which is probably ten years old and a description which sounds like something off the back of a wine bottle. Just think of the number of times you've ordered something in a take-away or off a menu with photos. Does the actual hamburger or piece of fish look anything at all like the photo? No, it doesn't!
Writing to someone for a long time isn't the safer option either. I would suggest getting a personal meeting over with as soon as possible before you waste a fortune on phone calls, etc. The longer you wait, the more time you have to build up your hopes and to put the person on a pedestal. It is also not a very good idea to make too many promises and to get too intimate before you actually meet.
Tempting as it is, please avoid all the little "I know we haven't even met, but I already feel like I miss you" or "I know we haven't even met, but I already feel like I love you" mails and texts until you have your first date behind you. And as for phone sex, well that is probably the worst thing in the world that you could possibly do. This may have worked for the chubby actress in the fantastic film "The Truth about Cats and Dogs" but, as we all know - real life is nothing like a Hollywood movie and you will wish the ground would open up and swallow you if you meet up and the person turns out to be your worst nightmare.