Is Online Dating Safe?
His Say 1: Desmond, 33, engineer
"Many people believe that only perverts or hideous guys resort to online dating - because all the women shun them in real life. I think this kind of view is very judgmental. Some of us are just too busy with our career to even meet new people - that's why we go for online dating services. It doesn't mean we're insincere or have an ulterior motive."
His Say 2: Alex, 23, undergraduate
"The best way to make your date feel safe is to be truthful about yourself. I guess many times guys try too hard to be someone else whom they think girls would love to meet. If you aren't honest, you will be caught during subsequent chats, and obviously the other party will think you're up to no good."
His Say 3: Wee Boon, 29, financial consultant
"The girls especially have to take precautions - don't give away your personal information like your home address, phone number, or where you work to anybody who has only just started knowing you."
His Say 4: Alvin Lim, 35, manager
"I think as long as you are street-smart, and don't invest all your emotions on a cyber-date whom you've never met, online dating can be safe and very fun."
His Say 5: Rick, 29, IT professional
"Call me a realist. But I think online dating is a much safer option to look for your lifelong partner than approaching a foreign brides agency!"
His Say 6: Gary Low, 28, accountant
"Women tend to think that they have more to lose, but sometimes we guys get cheated of our feelings too... Just treat this whole dating thing like a lottery - don't take it too seriously, but if you two hit it off, yo, you've won the grand prize!"
His Say 7: Ramli, 35, sales executive
"Online dating is as safe and as dangerous as you allow it to be. If you stick to protecting your privacy - like using a free web-based email to communicate instead of your personal email - and bring a friend along for the first meeting, you'd never be hurt."
His Say 8: Terence, 19, NS
"It's probably safe - online dating's not much different from blind dates."
His Say 9: Tang, 30, banker
"Extroverts probably can't understand what's the big deal about making friends on the Internet. But it's a practical solution for the busy or the shy. The only 'unsafe' aspect is that you can't see who you're talking to. They can be married but claim that they're still single... but this scenario can happen in real-life dating too, so..."
His Say 10: Kevin, 36, teacher
"If you approach online dating with a mature mindset - establishing casual friendship first, instead of jumping straight into blind romance - you can widen your circle of friends with less chance of being disappointed with false hopes."
Her Say 1: Renee, 26, events manager
"You know the probability of finding Mr. Right is something like 1 in a million. One can only go to so many clubbing spots or group date outings. Online dating gives a faster and better chance of finding that special someone, and I don't find it any more dangerous than getting picked up by a stranger from the pub."
Her Say 2: Ashley Goh, 27, optician
"When you're meeting up for the first time, always bring a girlfriend along. And choose to meet in crowded places like Orchard Road."
Her Say 3: Rachel Quek, 24, admin executive
"I believe that as long as you don't give psychos a chance, they can't hurt you. This means that when you are in the only-recently-acquainted phase, never disclose your private particulars and take everything with a pinch of salt. In this way, you won't get cheated or disappointed."
Her Say 4: Ling, 35, HR manager
"Personally I've never subscribed to online dating, but I did try IRC chats. Cyberspace dating is quite harmless - as long as you don't go to weird chatrooms like #sex. Danger only comes when you give perverts the chance to know you."
Her Say 5: Kristine, 24, designer
"Online dating is absolutely safe if you take the time to know each other in depth, and of course, to look out for inconsistencies. Guys with hidden agenda won't have the patience to wait that long to meet up with you - they'll show their true colors, and just disappear off to pull the same stunt on the next unsuspecting victim."
Her Say 6: Giselle, 21, undergraduate
"Yes, online dating's safe enough. So many of my friends got hitched via the Internet - dating sites, online forums, messengers, etc."
Her Say 7: Esther, 25, teacher
"Just don't divulge too much of your private info. You can exchange emails, then phone numbers to talk on the phone - you know, make the progress slow but steady - before finally setting up for a face-to-face meeting."
Her Say 8: Julie, 32, nurse
"I think it's the facelessness that bugs some women - they don't know who they're really talking to."
Her Say 9: Evelyn Cheng, 28, personal assistant
"There's something mysterious about making friends on the Net because you don't know the real identity of the other person. I guess that's what makes some people feel unsafe. But there's always a hope that your friendship might blossom into something more romantic - like the Meg Ryan/ Tom Hanks characters in You've Got Mail."
Her Say 10: Michelle, 19, student
"When you start to explore the possibility of a new relationship, there's always risks involved. You'd start worrying about the what-ifs. This isn't just limited to online dates."
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