Added: 05/25/2007 |
Is Online Flirting Harmless?In this day and age it is not surprising that many singles have taken to the online dating craze in their search for love. If you have a computer and internet access you can begin your search for online romance in no time. Online flirting is quite a common thing amongst singles that are browsing online for a perfect match. If it is your first time online this may take you by surprise.
This poses the question though, is online flirting harmless? Experts say that while many people are single and are honestly just looking to make some sort of connection with someone, many people online are not being completely up front about who they really are. So is there any real harm in a little innocent online flirting? It is believed that for the most part, flirting online does not pose a threat. In certain conditions however, people can become emotionally involved with someone who is being deceptive in their identity. What starts out as “harmless” flirting becomes something commonly referred to as an online affair.
If someone is single and is using the internet as a tool to meet potential dates, that is one thing. It all gets quite tricky however, when someone begins to flirt quite innocently and that flirting becomes elevated to a level that is inappropriate. For example, if a married man or woman is online and visiting a chat room they start to flirt a little with someone in that “room”. This can then lead to an exchange of information (email or even phone numbers) and before one may realize it, the innocent flirting has turned into something much more serious. As crazy as it seems, this can actually build to a level where people feel they have fallen in love with someone they have never even met in person. Of course the obvious concern with that is that you can never be quite sure if you are truly falling for someone that is actually who they have portrayed themselves to be. It has been proven time and time again that more then half of the people who visit online flirt chat rooms have either elaborated beyond the truth as to their real identity. In other cases individuals have done more then loosely elaborate, they have gone on to create completely fictitious profiles. Some go as far as to lie about their marital status, their income, age, location and even their gender. Unfortunately for those that meet these people in the chat rooms, there is really no easy way to tell if someone is being straight with you or not.
With all that being said, it is really best to remind yourself that while chat rooms give you the opportunity to meet people that you may be interested in, they are also a venue for people that are hiding behind a false identity. Always be cautious of these people, especially when exchanging information or trying to get to know someone a little better. Studies have shown that using actual dating websites such as Lavalife or Plenty of Fish creates more positive results when you are trying to make a romantic connection. While these sites are not without fault, they are designed more to appeal to honest people that are looking to meet someone online.
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