Online dating: A new addiction?
Online dating: A new addiction?
By Analyn Tolentino
It is 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon , Joy just finish working from her daily care giving routine to a wealthy family. So she went on her room to take a rest. But instead of resting, she took out her laptop and log on to chat with her boyfriend online taking her time until midnight to sign off.
Since the invention of the computer, everything has changed in the world of communication and technologies. In fact, computers made life easier to many people in all walks of life. It made many industries and businesses to improve the quality of products they have so that they can better serve their consumers. In the field of sciences and medicine, it paved the way for better assistance in upgrading the knowledge to save more thousands of lives of patients. Lastly, computers paved the way for the creation of internet which later on help people from different parts of the world communicate faster than anyone could imagine in a blink of an eye.
One of the fads that hook up a lot of people is the so called onine dating. Many dating sites offer unlimited access to their website catering to those individuals who need to meet people. There are many reasons why people go online for a speed dates. Some women and men find it easier to meet someone online because of the lack of time to go out. Some are there to find the right man whom they have been waiting for. Others are on it for experience sake. It is cheap and saves time. For what ever reasons women and men alike have, on line dating is the answer.
But the question is how safe it is to go online dating?
According to Joy “ I have been dating online in one of the websites for almost a year now and at the beginning it is exciting because the guys I chatted with are all nice. And when I meet them, I found out that there are some who are nice and decent men out there.”
“But some are just there playing games and only to find out that they are totally different from the person I met on line,” says Eden Somera who dated online and met a couple of men for formality’s sake.
When people go online for dating and begin interacting anything is open like a poker game. Both parties divulge information about each other. Some people says it is worthwhile but when an honest individual meets a dishonest guy, giving too much information to someone whom you do not know on the other side of the world can bring possible horrible things leading to deceit, thread of lies and vulnerability among women.
“ I met this guy way back in HongKong through online and we chatted for almost a year. He decided to come and visit me in Hongkong five years ago. Everything seemed so nice and sweet. We made plans to get married but because of his work, he needs to go back to Canada. Months passed but he never called me back again and that was the the last time I saw him. Now, I came to know he is married and he is the reason why I came to Canada … to come and look for him but I got the saddest news!
As an advice, one should not trust somebody at an instant. As on line dater, one should bear in mind that IT IS NOT ONLY YOU WHOM HE DATES…THERE ARE SO MANY OF YOU” says Arceli who is now a Canadian resident and manager of MCDO in Niagara Region.
As of 2008 Auckland Sexual Abuse Help Foundation believes that internet dating makes women vulnerable and are doing researches on the impact of online dating on the lives of many people.
Anything that is too much can become an addiction. According to reports, Internet dating can become addicting if you spend most of your free time shutting your family and friends to be with and have no intention of getting serious relationship jumping from one online date to another seeking the next trophy to be won.
As the rule of thumb, many online dating sites advice individuals to be vigilant on the people they meet online. One should not give any important information about one’s self not unless they have met and known each other for a quite long time. But even at that point extra caution would be necessary and one should always think of safety first.
What then is the best way to meet someone?Is it the old fashion way still or on ine dating? As Filipinas who are faced with such challenge of the time… which is which?
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